After Story: Devotion
by Magnus Prime
Summary: An 'After' story based on Fuuko's route from the VN/Anime 'Clannad'. Fuuko is still in a coma and her spirit has not been seen in a long time. Tomoya finds that he'll have to 'put up or shut up' to become the man she needs.
1. Lost & Found

**Fuuko After Story: Devotion  
** _A Tomoya /Fuuko fanfiction_

Chapter One: Lost & Found

 _Female Student: There's a request for you. If you could…_

 _For her, it's going to start…from here._

 _But this time, she's going to have to summon her courage._

 _Female Student: Please become Fuuko's friends!_

… _In order to have a joyous school life with us._

* * *

I shuffled into the classroom and fell into my desk chair in time for first period. Adopting my usual posture for the school day, I rested my chin in my hand and stared out the window to let my thoughts fly free.

I was still in a bit of shock after meeting up with Fuuko again. Thinking about her had become something of a ritual after her disappearance at the end of her sister's wedding. When I saw that the other students were starting to forget about her, including Furukawa-san and Sunohara-san, I panicked. I didn't want to forget her, so I tried to find ways to make myself remember her.

At first, I was afraid that I would forget her if I slept. So I ended up not sleeping for a couple of days before Sunohara and Furukawa helped me to see that I wouldn't forget her just from sleeping. In the end I chose to write her name on pieces of paper (along with my best starfish drawings) and stick them to the walls of my room and locker. I also wrote her name on the back of my hand for good measure.

Her last visit shortly after the wedding still managed to catch me by surprise, though. When she appeared while I was talking with Furukawa and Sunohara, she gave us each a carved starfish and asked us to be her friends. When I reached out to take the carving, I saw her name on the back of my hand. Between the name on my hand and a sudden feeling of loss, I remembered her again.

Since then I tried to consciously remember everything I could about her. Every memory of her I could find I would relive over and over again.

"…Okazaki?"

"Mmm?" I looked to my right at Sunohara's smug face as he looked down at me while leaning against his desk. It must have been a break since the others students were leaving the classroom. "What?"

"You look different than your usual spacing out. Which girl are you thinking about?"

I decided not to play his game and answer straight. "Fuuko."

"Ahh, Fuuko…" he said with his eyes closed, deep in thought. "I see…Fuuko…"

Wait for it…wait for it…

"WHO THE HELL IS FUUKO?! WHERE ARE YOU FINDING THESE GIRLS?! AND WHY DOES MY HEART SUDDENLY FEEL SO HEAVY?!" He sat back down at his desk.

I sighed. Apparently I really was the only one to actually remember Fuuko. I felt really sad about that, when I thought about it. What if I did something special for lots of people, but no one remembered not just what I did, but my very existence as well? If I hadn't written her name down on all those places, would I have completely forgotten her, too? The very idea made me nauseous. After all, hadn't I accepted that I liked her?

I couldn't even bear the idea of forgetting her.

"Hey, Okazaki," Apparently Sunohara had cooled off. "Summer break's coming up. Got any plans? Maybe one girl a week? Or two weeks?"

"Shut up."

"Which one should you start with?" As usual, he was ignoring any answer that didn't match his train of thought. "You've had a rough start, so maybe Fujibayashi?"

"Which one?" I decided to humor him.

"Ryou-san, of course. Kyou-san would simply use you as a punching…bag…" he trailed off as he saw me looking behind him. "She's right behind me, isn't she?"

I nodded solemnly and he cautiously looked over his shoulder to the elder twin.

Kyou had the look of death in her eyes. This was probably going to be another of her overblown reactions. "Punching bag, huh?" She grabbed his arm and started dragging him to the classroom exit. "Works for me, but maybe I should warm up on something else first."

After that, it was the usual routine: Sunohara resisting, protesting, crying out to me for help, then being dragged out to meet his fate.

I yawned and thought about his question. I had to admit that having a couple of girls vying for my attention was nice in its own way, but it caused a lot of stress. After all, I could only choose one in the end, right? It's not like one of those visual novels where the guy can "marry them all". I snorted at the thought of a 'harem'. How disrespectful.

My mind had been made up, though…no, not my mind, but my heart. I felt stupid thinking this way, but it was true; somewhere along the way, the little starfish girl had stolen my heart, and I wanted her to keep it.

My mood fell as I realized that it had been a long time since that last time I had seen her. I'd been to the room next to the Drama Club several times, but she hadn't appeared. I remember Kouko telling me that she had stopped breathing, and…a sick feeling entered my stomach as I thought of the implications.

I looked up as Sunohara returned to his seat. "I won't be coming to your place after school on Saturday." I smiled at him lopsidedly. "I'm giving you the weekend off."

"Well, what am I supposed to do, then?" Sunohara whined.

"You could always go on a date with Kyou-san," I quipped.

I could feel him glaring at me as I looked back out the window and started to plan my weekend trip.


	2. The First Step

**Chapter Two – The First Step**

After classes on Saturday, I paid a visit to Kouko to get the information for the hospital where Fuuko was staying.

"Thank you, Kouko-san," I said with a bow.

"You're welcome, Okazaki-san. I'm happy to see someone from school visiting her. Though I admit, I don't know how you know her."

"When do you plan to visit her? Tomorrow?" Kouko's husband asked with a curious expression. "You'll want to get an early start for the trains."

I nodded respectfully. "I've accounted for that. I plan to catch the first train out to give myself enough time in case I make a wrong turn somewhere. I'll have to figure out the rest of the day based on what Kouko-sensei has just told me." I took a step back and bowed. "Thank you again for your time and congratulations, again, on your wedding."

The Yoshinos both returned my bow. "Have a safe return home, and on your trip tomorrow." Yuusuke said.

"And say 'Hi' to my sister for me?" Kouko added.

After exchanging final farewells, I returned home…well, after killing time to avoid my old man.

* * *

The smell of the hospital was a refreshing change from the smell of my dad's place. Where his place smelled a lot like alcohol, the hospital had a nice, clean smell to it. Both places smelled like alcohol, but it was kinda like 'dirty' alcohol versus 'clean' alcohol.

I reflected back on the trip here. Fortunately, everything went smoothly; I was early for the train, the train arrived on time (if not a bit early), and I had no troubles finding the hospital.

It was as though I was supposed to be here today, like I had earned some god's favor.

I asked where Fuuko's room was and, after a nurse contacted Kouko, I was given her room number: 225.

After an uneventful ride to the second floor, I checked the floor map, found 225, and headed that way. Sure enough, under the tile for Room 225 was the name _Ibuki, Fuuko_.

For some reason, I was nervous. I mean, it's not as though she would throw me out of her room. When I thought about it, it was probably because I'd never seen her real physical body before, so I wasn't sure what to expect. Was I worried about being let down or something?

I knocked first to make sure that I wouldn't surprise anybody. After a second or two with no answer, I slowly and quietly opened the door.

It was your basic hospital room: a bed with a few medical-type things around it, a couple of chairs, the token health-related posters. I focused on the bed to find who I was looking for. My heart leaped to my throat. "Fu-chan…"

She certainly looked like that girl who used to run around the school giving away carved starfish, but she was…different. She looked taller, but it was hard to tell for sure with her laying down and covered by the sheet. Instead of the girlish face that I saw at school, I saw a more….mature face, even though it was partly covered by the breathing machine. Her hair was much shorter, a little longer than her sister's, probably to make it easier to take care of. At least her hair color was the same as what I remembered seeing. I wondered why the girl at school looked barely a day over fifteen, but the girl here…

Regardless of the differences, this was Fu-chan, and her presence still took my breath away.

I approached the bed and sat in one of the chairs next to the bed. I couldn't think of anything special to say, so I started with the basics.

"Hey, Fu-chan. It's me, Okazaki-san. You know, 'Strange Guy'?" I tried humor, but it fell flat even in my own mind.

Of course, Fuuko didn't respond.

Remembering something that Kouko told me about interacting with coma patients I said, "I'm going to hold your right hand" before taking her hand in my own. It was soft and cool to the touch. It was an unfamiliar hand, yet familiar.

"I haven't seen you since you gave me the starfish. When I found out that people were starting to forget you, I made sure to write your name a whole bunch of times. My room at home is almost full of starfish."

"I really miss you." I chuckled in spite of a heaviness. "Every time I'd see you at school, this tune would come to mind; a bouncy tune with flutes and horns, like a parade. A starfish parade. At a starfish festival."

"Everyone seems to be doing okay. We're all looking forward to summer break. Sunohara-san's his usual obnoxious self. Kotomi-chan alternates between making friends and driving them away with her violin assaults. Tomoyo's the new student body president, which should help Furukawa with her situation with the Drama Club."

"Kyou's still a pain in the ass…or head…or back – wherever she decides to hit me. And Fujibayashi?" I sighed sadly. "She's still a mouse."

I thought about what I knew about her past. "Kouko-san told me about your accident. I know it's not my fault, but I feel really bad that this happened to you. I'm glad that you were able to help with your sister's wedding, but I wish you could have been there…physically?...as well. I guess it's better than nothing, huh?"

I started to feel depressed, and made a fist with the hand that wasn't holding hers. "Dammit, I feel so useless!" I ground out the words. "I wish I could help you somehow; donate time, money, blood, whatever, to help you get out of that bed!" I lightly thumped the arm of the chair with my fist.

I suddenly had a flash of insight that shot me to my feet. "Fu-chan, I know that you have lost two years of your life. I know that when you get out, you'll be at least two years behind. I'm going to do everything I can to shorten that time.'

"I'll bring first-year course-books and read them to you. Summer break's coming up, so I'll have plenty of time. I'll bring worksheets and go over them with you." I took her hand in both of mine and promised: "I will not give up on you." Feeling somewhat tired, I sat back down.

I spent the rest of the time just holding her hand and quietly contemplating things. At the end, I gently released her hand, laying it back by her side. The last thing I did was affectionately pat her head, smiling as I remembered how much she hated it…at least, she did before. "I'll take care of you the best that I can."


	3. Resource Gathering

**Chapter Three: Resource Gathering**

"…and you'll need this math book-wait, that's the old edition. Here." Murakami-sensei handed me the last of an impressive stack of books. I had stayed after school to collect the texts that I would be reading to Fuuko. Maybe if I could split the time between reading at her bedside and sharing the books with her spirit…

I looked at the impressive stack of books. "Will she need to know everything in all of these? I mean, I remember only needing to read certain chapters in the history book."

"Oh! That's right," the old sensei replied, and reached into a cubby for several sheets of paper. "These list all of the assignments for first term; reading as well as any homework. While I encourage the student to read everything…" he smiled wryly, "I understand that may not be an option for you, given the circumstances."

I bowed the best I could, given my load. "Thank you, sensei."

Murakami-sensei returned my bow. "You are a good man, Okazaki-san, for taking this upon yourself. Giving of oneself, sacrificing, is a noble thing."

His praise surprised me, so I didn't know what to say. I mumbled some kind of thanks before leaving for Furukawa's Bakery with my truckload of books.

* * *

"Hellloooooo!" WHUMP!

Sanae, who had apparently been doing something behind the counter, suddenly popped up with a 'squeak'. "Oh! Okazaki-san! Welcome back!"

Seeing her eyeing my pack and sure that she wouldn't remember Fuuko, I explained. "I'll be visiting a friend in the hospital during the day for most of the summer. She was in an accident about two years ago, and has been in coma ever since."

"'She'?" Akio suddenly appeared out of nowhere, wielding his trademark baseball bat. "You had better not be two-timing on my daughter, punk! Like I'd ever let you date her!" The way he could whip out those contradictory statements was impressive. "What's this girl's name?"

"Fuuko," I answered, my hopes rising. Maybe I could get one or both of Nagisa's parents to remember; she had stayed with them, after all, so maybe… "She carved starfish out of wood and gave them to everybody and asked them to attend her sister's wedding."

"Fuuko, eh…Fuuko…" Akio shook his head before wagging a finger at me. "I don't remember that name, but this burning in my soul tells me that you are not lying!" He struck a dramatic pose, with chest proudly thrust forward, fist clenched in front, and his bat slung over his shoulder.

Sanae swooned appropriately, if only for a moment. "My soul is the same, dear Akio-san! Perhaps we should carve Dangos out of wood and give them to people to invite them to Nagisa-chan's wedding!"

Akio nodded contentedly, then leaned toward me. "Or we could carve them out of Sanae-san's bread. It's just as hard, don't you think?"

"Pops," I said, hand on my forehead, "She's still here you know…"

Akio's face paled. "Crap! And I even heard her talking just now!" He turned slowly to…

"My bread is…My bread is…" Sanae ran from the bakery, crying, hands over her face.

Akio immediately grabbed several of Sanae's creations and stuffed them in his mouth. "Ffanae! I UFF OOOOO!" he cried, running after her.

I sighed, picked up my pack, and turned to leave.

"Ah, Okazaki-san."

I turned back to the bakery. "Hey, Furukawa."

Nagisa stood in the doorway between the bakery and the Furukawa home. "I didn't know that you were here." Her brow furrowed. "Where are my parents?"

"Out for their daily run."

"Eh?"

"Pops insulted Sanae-san's bread right in front of her, and…"

Nagisa nodded understanding. "Well, I guess I'm responsible for the store for now." She smiled. "Would you be willing to help me?"

The phrase 'help me' always seemed to trigger my automatic response. "Sure. But just 'til your parents get back." I gestured to my pack on the floor. "I've got some work to do to get ready for more work."

Nagisa walked over and tried to pick up my pack. "Oof! That is heavy! What do you have in there?!...if you don't mind me asking."

"First-year textbooks," I replied. I then repeated to her what I had told her mom earlier. "So my summer's going to be kinda crazy. At least this'll keep me away from my old man."

"I see." She seemed to be pondering something.

Finally, she offered: "I know I've asked before but would you like to try living here? Mom and Dad still think really highly of you."

"Thanks for the offer, but I'm going to be visiting the hospital pretty much all summer, so I won't be able to repay your parents."

"I don't think that'll be a problem," Nagisa countered. "If you're doing something good for somebody, Mom and Dad would love to help you out."

"But-"

"How about this: You think about it, and I'll talk to them and see what they say. Would that be okay?" Nagisa nearly had a pleading expression at this point.

I sighed and dropped my head. "Fine. If it'll make you happy, go ahead."

"I don't mean to be pushy."

"It's fine. I just don't like being a freeloader."

With a warm smile, Nagisa invited me back into the bakery for support and conversation.


	4. Reunion

**Chapter Four – Reunion**

As I entered the hospital, I adjusted my backpack to take some of the pressure off of the injured part of my right shoulder. I would have let my left shoulder carry the whole thing, but the sheer weight of the books required the support of both shoulders. Maybe I should have planned better and only brought a few…

After checking in at the nurses' station, I took the elevator to the second floor and made my way to Room 225.

I lowered my pack to the floor and removed a first-year history textbook from inside. "Hey, Fuuko," I greeted the unconscious girl with a smile. "Thought I'd help you with your first-year classes. Of course I can't help you with attendance but…" I hefted the book as though to show it to her. "At least I can help you pass the tests."

Fuuko didn't answer, as expected.

"All right, Chapter One…"

* * *

I started my summer break that way; traveling to the hospital as often as I could, sometimes sleeping in the lobby to save train fare and washing my face in the restroom. Eventually, I worked up a good routine: I'd spend the weekdays at the hospital (trying to stay under the staff's radar), either reading to Fuuko, talking to her about stuff, or just sitting there quietly, holding her hand. On the weekends I'd stay at Furukawa Bakery (Nagisa had worked things out with her parents) and help out around the place, as well as pick up what I would need for the next week at the hospital.

At first I thought it would be boring; after all, how much fun can it be to sit and read to a sleeping person?

But somehow, it wasn't boring at all. I think it was because I was doing something for someone I cared about. Knowing that I was making a difference in someone's like made it all worthwhile, I guess.

Because of how much reading I had to do, I could only cover one subject per day. So on Monday, I would cover English. On Tuesday it was Japanese. Wednesday was Math. Thursday, I covered history.

Or, at least, I tried to; I sucked at history.

Anyway, Friday was a catch-up day, when I'd cover anything that I wasn't able to finish on the other days. Finally, Saturday morning was what I'd call a 'fun day', when I'd just spend time with her. I usually wouldn't talk much since I'd been reading all the other days and would feel a little hoarse. On those days I'd hold her hand or just be there, watching her or the machines work on keeping her alive. I did what I could.

* * *

One Saturday, I realized that her birthday was coming up. I just couldn't remember when. So I called Kouko-san from Nagisa's place.

" _Hello?"_

"Hi, Kouko-san."

" _Okazaki-kun, good morning!"_ I liked how Kouko-san always sounded happy to hear from me. _"What can I do for you?"_

"I hope I'm not calling too early."

" _Not at all. Yu-kun and I were just finishing breakfast. What can I do for you?"_

"I was hoping you would tell me Fuuko-san's birthday. I'd like to do something special for her, if I could."

" _Certainly! That's coming up soon, isn't it? Let me check to be sure…let's see, it's-right, it's July 20_ _th_ _."_

"Thanks. Hey, can you tell me what day of the week that falls on? I don't have a calendar."

" _Just a moment…Yu-kun, would you check the calendar for what day July 20_ _th_ _falls on? Saturday? Okazaki-san? It falls on Saturday this year."_

"Thanks. I appreciate it. I'll try to do something nice for her, but I don't have a lot of money."

" _That's okay. You're already doing a lot for her, and I'm sure she appreciates it. I know that I do."_

I felt a little awkward. "Thank you, ma'am."

" _And don't worry too much; Yu-kun and I will be there in the late morning, so you won't be celebrating alone."_

I hadn't considered that, but it made sense that they would be there. "I'm looking forward to seeing you two again. Take care."

" _Good-bye, Okazaki-san. Take care of Fu-chan for us."_

* * *

"I wish you would start breathing on your own again."

I sat by Fuuko's bedside, holding her hand. I had brought textbooks, but had very little motivation to read this time. I'd felt this way a couple of times already, so I figured that I'd be back up to it tomorrow. I ended up spending most of this particular visit quietly holding her hand and thinking.

"Did you exhaust yourself by projecting yourself into the school? Did you make all of those stars and attend your sister's wedding at the cost of your own health?" I noticed my voice starting to tremble; it matched the rest of me. "We were just getting to know each other. You kissed me on the cheek. We celebrated your sister's wedding before the actual wedding. I bought you a party hat." I wiped a hand across my eyes. "Is that going to be it? Are you done fighting, then? Are you giving up now? Is this how it's going to end?"

I got up from the chair and looked down at her face. "Fight, Fu-chan! You overcame so much to make those starfish and give them to everybody, even though you knew no one would remember! You fought for your sister, now fight for yourself!"

Crap. I was losing my composure. "Please, Fu-chan; don't give up. There are people here who love you; Kouko-san, Yuusuke-san..." I sighed sadly. "…me..."

As the end of visiting hours came I gently placed her hand back at her side, caressed her hair, and headed to the door. "I'm going home for now. I will not give up on you. Please…don't give up on yourself, either."

I left the room and leaned heavily against the wall next to the door. "Damn. Do I love her, or am I just obsessed?"

Maybe a bit of both.

* * *

It was summer break and a Sunday, but I broke into the school anyway. I needed someplace quiet to think but Dad was at home, and Nagisa's parents were…well, Nagisa's parents. So that left the school.

Before I knew it, I was standing with my hand on the door to the classroom where I first met Fuuko. It hadn't even been two months but I still felt a wave of nostalgia; a lot had happened in that time, after all. I sighed and pushed the door open.

I took two steps into the room and froze, and all of the feelings I had for her rushed back at the same time. "Fu-chan…?"

Before me, Fuuko sat at a desk. Instead of working on carving starfish, she appeared to be working on an enormous blanket of some kind.

She looked up at me. "Why is strange guy here?"

"F-Fuuko?!" I stammered. "How-"

And then I noticed something odd, even under these circumstances. Her voice sounded kind of like an echo, like she was talking into a tin can. When looked more closely, I realized that Fuuko was partly transparent. It didn't seem to affect her ability to hold the blanket, though.

"Okazaki-san, why are you here?" she asked, rephrasing her question.

"I-I came here to think." Relief washed over me. "I-It's good to see you again! How are you? Are you better?"

She stopped…whatever she was doing. "Fuuko's tired, but okay otherwise." I noticed that she didn't try her usual boasting.

That didn't stop me from being concerned, however, as I sat at the desk before her. "Are you sure you should be out here? I mean, being out like this could have been what caused you to stop breathing…on your own, I mean."

"Fuuko…had a setback. Fuuko's making a blanket now." She held up the blanket; it was a thick cozy-looking blue blanket, with two golden starfish sewn onto it, near one corner. "Fuuko's better with a needle than a knife."

I smiled. "Maybe you should have made starfish plushies for the school instead of carvings."

She smiled awkwardly. "Maybe."

I remembered that she appeared for an important reason before, which got me thinking again. "What are you making the blanket for? Is this for something important to you, too?

It was hard to see for sure since she was only half-visible, but I thought I saw a blush creep onto her cheeks. "Very important."

"Are you going to be making a whole bunch of these to give away, too?"

She shook her head. "No. Just one."

"Is it for yourself?"

She shook her head again. "No."

"Who's it for?"

"Not saying." Did her face just get redder?

"Okay."

I cautiously reached out my hand toward her to see if I could touch her, or if my hand would pass through her.

She saw my movement and smiled shyly before putting down the needle and reaching out with the hand that didn't have the bandage on it, laying it on the desktop, palm up. I chuckled when she wiggled her fingers as if to say 'come here'. I reached further out to rest my fingers on top of hers.

I was glad to find that my fingers found hers instead of passing through them. Trying to hold back a wave of emotions, I said, "It's been a long time."

"You've missed Fuuko."

I admitted it with a nod. Visiting her in the hospital wasn't like being able to actually talk to her, though I was less hesitant to hold her hand while there.

"Thank you for visiting Fuuko at the hospital. Fuuko doesn't mind that you've been holding her hand, either."

That was a surprise. Not just that she was okay with it, but that she was even aware that I was doing it in the first place.

Wait, if she didn't mind it there… "W-What about here?"

"What?"

"W-What about holding your hand here? Would that be okay, too?" I looked at her hopefully. Jeez, I'm pathetic.

Fuuko said nothing at first, but gazed briefly at me. Then she looked at our hands, bit her lip and slowly curled her fingers, causing mine to start curling around hers. I finished the motion, and we were holding…well, fingers.

"Thank you." Other than that, I wasn't sure what to say. We'd held hands before, sure. She'd even kissed me on the cheek before, but that seemed like a spur-of-the-moment thing. Really, I was just happy to see her; being able to hold her hand was like the icing on the cake. "It's…really good to see you again."

"Thank you." No bravado this time, either. She looked like she was trying to compose herself, though. "It's good to see weird guy again, too."

Eventually, we released each other's hands so she could get back to working on her blanket.

I got the impression that she didn't want to let go any more than I did, but that could have been my imagination.


	5. Happy Birthday!

**Chapter Five – Happy Birthday!**

I sat in my usual place in Fu-chan's room, holding her hand. Even though it was her birthday, I still managed to beat the Yoshinos to the hospital, so I had some time alone with her.

"I figure your sister and brother-in-law will be here soon, so I just wanted to wish you 'Happy Birthday' now. I wish you could be here to enjoy it, but…" I really didn't know what else to say. I wasn't sure if she'd be at the school or not, or I could've gone there. I couldn't afford a gift, and it wasn't as though she could enjoy it, anyway.

It was quite disheartening.

A few minutes later, the door opened and Kouko appeared. "Oh! Hi, Okazaki-san!" She always seemed surprised to see me. "I didn't think you'd get here before us." Yuusuke followed behind her, and he and I exchanged nods in greeting.

"I got here at my usual time," I said. "I just wish that I had a gift for her, and that she could enjoy it."

Kouko nodded sympathetically. "I understand."

"Not to one-up you kid, but Kouko has been wishing that kind of thing for about two years longer than you," Yuusuke added.

I nodded. "I understand. I'm sorry; I didn't mean for it to seem like I'm the only one waiting."

Kouko laid a hand on my head. "It's okay. I'm just glad to have one more person waiting for her to wake up." She looked over to her husband, who nodded. "It means a lot to us."

 _Knock-knock_

All three of us looked over at the door in surprise. I wasn't expecting anyone else and, based on the Yoshinos' surprise, they weren't either.

So it was a pleasant surprise to see Yukine appear. "Hello? Is this okay?"

A smile spread across my face. "Miyazawa-san! Hey, come on in!...That is, if it's okay?" I asked the Yoshinos.

Kouko smiled and nodded excitedly. "The more, the merrier!"

So Yukine entered carrying a large box, with a bag hanging from one arm.

"Hey, let me help you with that," Yuusuke offered.

Yukine let Yuusuke take the box with an expression of gratitude and led him over to where she wanted to set up her things. As usual, her 'things' consisted of a cooking set enough to feed a small army, as well as the food to feed said army. "I purchased the food after getting off of the train," she explained.

"Still, that's pretty heavy," Yuusuke observed, to which Yukine simply giggled.

"Let me help set that up," Kouko offered. "Yuusuke, go keep Fu-chan and Okazaki-san company."

Just as Yuusuke resettled down on the other side of the bed, there was another knock at the door. All of us looked at each other, then the other three looked at me. "Come in?" I guessed that I had been unofficially elected the head of this gathering.

The door opened and in came Kotomi, carrying a decent-sized bag. She paused and bowed to all of us. "Tomoya-kun, good morning. Uh…" She apparently wasn't sure what to make of the other three.

"Good morning," the Yoshinos answered, almost in unison.

"Good morning!" Yukine replied cheerfully with a bow.

Kotomi quickly made her way over to me and tried to hide. "Are they bullies?" It hadn't occurred to me that the two of them hadn't met yet.

Yuusuke quickly rose to his feet. "Hi there. I'm Yuusuke, but you can call me Yu-san. The beautiful woman over there – well, the one with the shorter hair – is my wife. You can call her Kouko-san."

Yukine apparently heard Kotomi's question as well; she walked closer to the two of us and bowed again. "I am Miyazawa-san. Pleased to meet you."

I nudged Kotomi; she stepped forward and bowed. "Hello. Nice to meet you. My name is Ichinose Kotomi, a senior in Class A. My hobby is reading books. I would be happy if you would become my friends."

I silently applauded for my old friend. Yukine would be a great friend for her, and the Yoshinos were good people.

The older couple smiled at her. "Nice to meet you, Ichinose-san."

Yukine smiled brightly. It seemed like it was the only way she knew how to smile. "Ichinose-senpai, I would be happy to be your friend." She gestured to the bag. "Is that for the party?"

Kotomi hugged the bag to her chest. "I heard that Tomoya-kun would be celebrating Fuuko-san's birthday today, so I brought food to share with him."

Yukine nodded and gestured to her cooking supplies. "Would you be willing to add your things to what I've brought? I'm sure it would help our party greatly."

Kotomi looked at me as though she was asking permission.

"It's up to you Kotomi-chan," I said. "Even if it's more than just you and me, I'd like it if you'd stay and celebrate with us."

She seemed to ponder my statement for a moment before nodding once. She then went over to Yukine's makeshift workstation and placed her bag on the counter. She then returned to my side.

While I got up from my chair and slid it over so Kotomi could sit in it, I saw Yuusuke leave the room, probably to get more chairs. Hopefully the room wouldn't get too full; I didn't want to cause any problems for the hospital staff.

Several minutes later, the Fujibayashi twins arrived. Even after introductions, Kotomi hid herself behind me to avoid Kyou. Not that I blamed her. Thanks to the twins, even more food was added to the growing pile at Yukine's workstation. Apparently they intended to keep me company on Fu-chan's birthday as well, though they, like Kotomi, weren't expecting all of the other people.

I was starting to wonder how word was getting around when Tomoyo entered the room. She took one look at the group, another at Yukine's workstation, and finally at me and we shared a smile as she held up a box before making her way over. "Heard about a birthday and thought I'd keep you company," she said. "Looks like someone beat me to it."

"If you don't mind the company, you're welcome to stay," I offered. Fortunately, Yuusuke had been bringing in chairs from somewhere.

After introducing Tomoyo to the others, she gave her box to Yukine and started chatting with her.

I found myself wondering who would arrive next.

Surprisingly, Sunohara came through the door. He looked around the room in amazement. "Okazaki, I don't know how you do it; you have every beautiful woman from school in this very room. It's like paradise!"

"Well, thank you!" Kyou exclaimed, as she and Tomoyo simultaneously flipped their hair with a smile.

Sunohara appropriately paled before quietly making his way over to Yukine with his bag. I was surprised to see the typically self-absorbed friend sharing anything, let alone food.

At this point, I wasn't surprised to see Nagisa come in a few minutes later; everyone else I knew was here, after all. What surprised me, though, was to see both of her parents with her.

"Whoa! This place is rockin'!" Akio yelled as he looked around the room.

"My, my…" Sanae observed.

"Okazaki-san!" Nagisa greeted.

The Furukawas added their considerable contribution to the party food, and Kyou and Sanae helped Yukine with food preparation.

Nagisa made her way over to Kotomi and I. "Looks like everyone's here!"

"Yeah, looks like it," I agreed. "What I don't get is how everyone knows about Fuuko's birthday. I only told you, and-wait a minute…" I turned to Nagisa, who was giggling uncontrollably. "Did you tell everybody?"

Nagisa nodded, still giggling. "Sorry, Okazaki-san; I just thought it was wrong for you to celebrate this alone. I thought you'd be lonely, so I let everyone know."

I looked around the room and was impressed. Maybe they had some lingering emotion tied to Fu-chan and decided to show up because of that? The possibility brought a lump to my throat, but I swallowed it back down.

"Well, regardless of the reasons, I'm glad everyone's here." I smiled as I watched my friends talking with each other.

Yukine, Kyou and Sanae were still organizing the food. They seemed to work well together, with the way that they coordinated their movements and delegated responsibilities. They could probably run a restaurant if they put their minds to it. Tomoyo too, when I thought about it.

Akio had found his way over to the Yoshinos and Ryou and was having what appeared to be a lively conversation with them, judging from the way that he was waving his arms around. Though, that could just as easily have been because that was the kind of person he was.

Kotomi stayed right next to me, quietly watching everyone else, just like me. It was fine with me that she wasn't talking to anyone; just being outside of the library and around all these people was impressive by itself.

Nagisa, Tomoyo, and Sunohara were at the far corner of the room. After seeing his efforts in trying to out Tomoyo as a man, I was glad to see him having a serious conversation with the two girls. Maybe not having me around for a while gave him a chance to think about stuff? Maybe.

I felt a gentle pressure on my arm, and looked to see Kotomi holding on to my sleeve. "Are you okay?" I asked.

She nodded. "I am. I am not used to being around so many people, so…"

I smiled. "You needed me to 'ground' you?"

She nodded again. "Yes. Touching you is keeping me from feeling overwhelmed. Thank you, Tomoya-kun."

"That's what friends are for," I replied.

"Yes," she said thoughtfully. "Friends…"

I must have missed when the food was ready, because Kyou abruptly appeared with two plates of a variety of food. "I see you two were busy, so I brought you some food." She handed Kotomi a plate before handing me mine. "You should see the cake that Yukine made. It just screams 'Fuuko'. At least, from what I hear about her."

I chuckled softly. "I'm looking forward to it." I then heard another knock at the door; fortunately, I was close enough to hear it. "Come in!" I couldn't think of who else it could be.

My face fell as I saw my dad enter the room. "What the…"

He smiled as he saw everyone. "Hello, everyone. My, my, this is quite a gathering!"

I bolted to my feet, nearly dropping my plate. "What the hell are you doing here?" I growled under my breath.

His eyes settled on me and my skin crawled. "Ah, Tomoya-kun. Your friend Furukawa-chan was kind enough to stop by our house and invite me to Ibuki-chan's birthday."

I ground my teeth. "You. Are. Not. Welcome. Here!"

"Naoyuki-san, we're glad that you could make it!" Sanae had made her way over to us. "Tomoya-san has told us so much about you, but it's so good to finally meet you!"

"I'm sorry young lady, you are…?"

"I am Nagisa-chan's mother. Please, call me Sanae. And this…" she gestured to her husband, who had just walked up, "is my husband, Akio-san."

"Call me Akio."

My dad bowed to the Furukawas, which surprised me; I had never seen him talk to anyone but me, so it was like seeing a new side of him. "A pleasure to meet you both. Please call me Naoyuki. So you are Nagisa-chan's parents? Thank you for raising such a polite young lady. She has been a good friend to Tomoya."

I was surprised again. Dad hadn't called me 'Tomoya' since the fight that injured my shoulder. He must have been putting up a front or something.

"…so is the family of the birthday girl here?" He asked. "I'd like to meet them if I could."

"This way, please," offered Sanae, as she led him over to the Yoshinos. Their voices faded into the noise of the conversations as I sat back down next to Kotomi and buried my face in my hands.

I felt another pressure on my arm. "Tomoya-kun?"

I flinched at the name before I realized that it was Kotomi who was talking to me this time, and so I relaxed. "Yes, Kotomi-chan?"

"Is that…your father?"

I nodded. "Yeah, that's my old man." I frowned. "What the hell was Furukawa thinking, inviting him like that? She knows how I feel about him!"

Kotomi shook her head. "I don't understand. How do you feel about your father?"

I gave her the short version of the story, about how Mom died when I was young, how my dad and I fought and, finally, how our last fight damaged my shoulder and how we grew apart.

"…so that's how it is," I finished. "Dad treats me slightly better than a stranger now that he's damaged me too much for me to have a career. I'm living with the Furukawas now."

Kotomi appeared to be deep in thought. "That's so sad. I'm sorry, Tomoya-kun."

"Don't be. At least I have a chance at a real life, now." With the way I was eating, I probably looked more like I was destroying my food instead of eating it.

"But to be estranged from your family like that…" she seemed hesitant to continue. "At least you have a chance to have a relationship with your father. I'm jealous."

My anger drained away. Here I was, complaining about my father to a friend who lost both of her parents. Couldn't I think of anyone besides myself? Well, Fu-chan sure, but… "I'm sorry, Kotomi-chan."

She shook her head again. "It's okay. We all have our own challenges. I do wish there was some way for the two of you to reconcile. I at least have closure since I have the teddy bear from my parents. I don't know what I'd do if they were still alive but separated from me by anger."

"Yeah, I know I'm just being a jerk about it. Damn, the whole reason I'm a delinquent is because of him-well, us. But what can I do?" I shrugged my shoulders.

"Let's play some ball!" Akio announced with perfect timing, as though he was answering my question.

"Akio-san, we don't have enough people for two teams," Sanae said.

Akio grunted and left the room.

I jumped when my dad addressed me. "Tomoya, if Akio-san can put this together, you should go and play."

I managed to suppress my usual annoyance. "I'll think about it."

Just then, Akio rushed back into the room. "Okay, we have opponents!"

My jaw dropped. That was fast! "Where…how…?" It seemed as though Nagisa's dad could find people to play ball anywhere.

"Nine members of the staff are on break. What are the chances?" Akio laughed. "Outside in five minutes, everybody!" He left the room, followed by Sanae and Nagisa.

"Go on ahead; I'll be there shortly," Kouko said to her husband, who then left.

Kyou and Tomoyo looked at each other and smiled before getting up and leaving the room. Ryou quickly followed her sister.

"Time to strut my stuff!" Sunohara bragged as he, too, left the room.

Yukine set her cookware to a lower temperature and left as well.

That left Kouko, Kotomi-chan, my dad, and me.

Kouko went over to Fuuko's bedside. "I'll be back shortly, Fu-chan," she said while fixing her sister's hair. She then also left the room, much to my surprise. Kotomi-chan looked at me for a moment before following her.

This just left me…and him.

Dad made his way over to the other side of Fuuko's bed. "Two years?"

I blinked at his question. "Two…? She's been in a come for two years, if that's what you're asking."

He nodded. Something about him seemed…different? I never smelled alcohol on him during that party, for one. Maybe he decided to sober up, at least for this?

"Why are you here?" I had to know.

He looked at me briefly before looking back at Fuuko. "She is the one you care so much about?"

I felt vulnerable for some reason. "Yeah, she's the one."

He nodded again, more slowly this time. "It's such a shame, for young lives to be lost like this. So many opportunities missed, so many possibilities…"

What was he talking about? "…Dad…"

He looked up at me again. "Tomoya…I'm…very sorry for what happened. I…took part of your future from you, and I regret that."

I had to clench my eyes shut and swallow the lump in my throat many times. "Why are you bringing this up now?"

As usual, he wouldn't answer a direct question. "Tomoya…why don't we go play ball with the others?"

"What do you mean, 'we'? And I'd rather stay here with Fuuko on her birthday."

He smiled. "I don't think she's going anywhere. But from what I've heard, if you go play, she may be out there watching you."

"How do…?" I was stunned. I didn't think Nagisa knew anything about that. So how did Dad?

"Wouldn't you like to impress the girl you like? I always liked impressing your mother when we went bowling."

I clicked my tongue. "Tch. Fine. Let's…go play."

* * *

Our team did surprisingly well, even considering that our opponents were nurses and aides; we won the game 12-3. Tomoyo knocked every one of hers out of the park. Unfortunately, because of her spot in the rotation, it usually only amounted to single runs. Sunohara, of course, struck out every time, even when he tried bunting. Go figure.

The others did so-so. I got a couple of hits, one of which was a homerun that won us the game, and as I heard everyone cheering I realized that...well, I liked coming through for people.

But…How do I say this? My dad…he, uh…used to play baseball. Apparently.

"Hey," one of the hospital staff asked after the game. "Aren't you 'Grand Slam'?

As it turned out, Dad had apparently made a name for himself in high school, so much so that his name was still well-known years later He was an excellent baseball player, particularly at hitting home runs. His position in the batting lineup ending up earning him the nickname 'Grand Slam'.

I was impressed. And a little annoyed at being impressed.

* * *

I was still annoyed and impressed as we made our way back to room 225. I looked behind me to see Akio talking excitedly with my dad. Of course he usually talked excitedly, but he probably had a good reason this time: He was likely trying to get Dad to join his team. Sanae and Nagisa were right behind them, raising a cloud of giggles.

As I entered the room, I saw that Yukine was already there, setting candles on the cake. I walked over to get a better look at it. Sure enough, it was shaped like a starfish, and a big one, too. I looked over at Fuuko and blinked in surprise.

She had a party hat on. For a moment I thought that it was her spirit before realizing that the hat was the wrong color. It was kinda like double-vision for a moment.

Eventually the candles were lit, and I found myself wondering how we were going to have Fuuko blow them out.

My question was answered as Kouko-san made her way to Fuuko's bedside. As we sang 'Happy Birthday', Yoshino-san brought the cake over to the bed. Kouko looked over at Fuuko briefly, like she was giving her sister time to make a wish. Then, she leaned forward and blew the candles out herself. We all cheered, of course, and I suspected that we were all wishing for Fuuko's recovery. I know I was.

Since everybody other than the Yoshinos thought they were going to be keeping me company, nobody brought presents for Fuuko, which was just as well.

After the cake, everyone continued to make small talk, but it looked as though things were starting to wind down.

Sunohara was the first to leave. "I wanna get back to my place before the rugby team gets back from their game." He explained. "I'd like to enjoy the quiet before they get back."

I didn't keep track of how long or anything, but after Sunohara left the twins left next. Kyou made it a point to let me know when her sister would love to help me with tutoring Fuuko. "We class reps are really smart, right?" she hinted, though the same could be said about Kyou as well. Those two worried me sometimes.

Nagisa and her parents left shortly after, though Sanae practically had to drag her husband out, who wouldn't stop talking to Dad. He was likely still trying to get Dad to join his team.

After helping Yukine with some of the clean-up, Tomoyo briefly stopped by Fuuko's bed, then walked up to me, smiled while clapping a hand on my shoulder, and left with "See you later, Okazaki." Short and to-the-point as always. I appreciated that about her.

Surprisingly, the Yoshinos were next to leave; I would have guessed that they would be the last. "I need to get home to make dinner," Kouko explained. "But please, feel free to stay as long as you like."

"At least until the staff kicks you out," Yuusuke added.

I almost missed seeing Yukine leave. After packing up her stuff, she made her way to the door, stopping just long enough to give Dad a kiss on the cheek. What?! My curiosity would be eating me alive for a while because of that.

I had become accustomed to the pressure on my arm, so I felt a sense of loss when Kotomi-chan let go of my sleeve to collect her stuff. She walked to the door and turned and bowed to us. "Tomoya-kun, Naoyuki-san, have a pleasant evening."

"Good-night, dear," said Dad.

'Night, Kotomi-chan. See you later," I replied.

She smiled at us as she left.

That left Dad and I alone again.

He made his way over to Fuuko's bedside again. "Such a sweet girl. If you weren't already taken by Fuuko-chan, I would suggest you talk to her or Yukine-chan."

I grunted. "What was that kiss about?"

"Ah, from Yukine-chan just now? We talked about her situation with the gangs, and I guess I gave her some good advice."

At first I was irritated again, but then I realized: Dad liked to come through for others, just like me. Or I guess it would be 'I'm just like him' when it comes to that. Not that I would admit it.

After a few minutes of silence, Dad got up from his chair. "Well, I guess should be going. It's getting pretty late. I assume you won't be coming home, so…good night, Tomoya."

After he left, I realized that he only called me 'Tomoya-kun' when he first saw me. After that, I was 'Tomoya'.

What caused this sudden change in him? Is this change permanent? Why can't he make easy for me to hate him? Gah, I have some thinking to do!


	6. Unexpected Support

**Chapter Six – Unexpected Support**

On Monday I sat in my usual spot next to Fuuko's bed, scratching my head over the course book that I had in my lap. English was never one of my favorite classes. Hell, I never saw any use for learning it in the first place, since I had no plans for leaving Japan.

I was holding Fuuko's hand while trying to find something I could teach her from the English book when I heard the door open behind me. I turned to see… "Kotomi-chan?"

She looked my way and smiled brightly as she made her way over. "Tomoya-kun…"

"What are you doing all the way out here?" Sure, she had been out here for Fuuko's birthday, but if I had thought about it, that would have been a once-in-a-lifetime for her. "Aren't you usually at home, reading?"

"Nagisa-san told me that you have been tutoring Fuuko-chan during summer break. I want to help."

"Well, I can't say that you wouldn't be any help," I mused. "Are you good at English?" I asked her. I figured she would be, but I thought I'd ask to be sure.

She nodded. "I am, but I have difficulty with the dialects, American slang in particular. Why do you ask?"

I lifted the book slightly to show it to her and saw her take on a thoughtful expression. "This is the last book I need to cover before I go into the next set of assignments." I explained. "But I never could understand English. Would you help me?"

She smiled again, and her eyes seemed to sparkle as she clasped her hands in front of her chest. "Of course, Tomoya-kun."

* * *

 _Knock-knock-knock_

I smiled to myself. "Come in!"

I figured it was Ryou when the door opened but no one immediately appeared. I wasn't disappointed when her head appeared around the door a full thirty seconds later. "Oh! O-Okazaki-san! H-Hi." She stammered her usual greeting to me."M-May I come in?"

"Sure; I already said 'Come in'."

"O-Of course," she squeaked and made her way to the other side of the bed and took a seat. "S-so this is Fuuko? I didn't get to r-really see her at her birthday."

I looked down at my comatose friend. "Yup. She's been here for the last two years, since she was in the accident on the way home from our freshman-year orientation. Do you still have the wooden starfish at home?"

"Y-Yes. Onee-san still has hers, as w-well." Why couldn't this girl relax around me? "How d-do you know about them?"

"Fuuko carved those out of blocks from the art supply room and gave them to everyone at the school to invite them to her sister's wedding."

Ryou's eyes widened. "A-Are you talking about the one that happened last month?"

I nodded. "The bride was Fuuko's sister. In fact, if you saw a wooden starfish in her hands, that's because Fuuko gave one to her at the wedding."

Ryou shook her head. "But I don't understand; how could she be at the w-wedding if she's been here the whole time?"

I sighed. I understood why I kept having to repeat the story, but that didn't mean that I wasn't tired of it. "Fuuko's…spirit appeared at school in the room next to the Drama Club and apparently did nothing but carve those starfish and give them to people. Shortly before the wedding, Kouko-san told me that her sister had stopped breathing on her own. About that time, people started to forget about Fuuko – not just her work, but the girl herself. As far as I know, I'm the only one who remembers her anymore." I stopped to give her a minute, and to see if I had forgotten anything.

I could tell from Ryou's expression that she was giving my words serious thought. "I wish I could remember. I feel sad, like I lost something important…a-and I feel like the starfish has something to do with it, but…." She looked at me sadly. "I wish I could remember."

I tried to give her a comforting smile. "It's okay. You were at the wedding, so Fuuko was happy. Really, all she wanted was to use all of us to communicate her feelings to her sister, and I think she succeeded…" I spread my arms apart "…hugely."

Ryou giggled softly. "I'm glad I could help." She came around the bed and sat in the chair next to me. "Um, Okazaki-san…"

"Yeah?"

"Why are you doing this for her? I-I mean, I can think of a few reasons, but I w-want to know yours."

I ran a hand through my hair. "Well, originally it was because I didn't want her to be forgotten by the school, but I know that I can't really do anything about that. Now I think it's because she hit my 'help me' button back when she was giving away the starfish, so I kinda feel responsible for her."

Ryou bit her bottom lip. "Okazaki-san…do you…like…Fuuko?"

"Friendship or…you know…" Just because I was a delinquent didn't mean I could say anything.

Ryou gave me a meaningful look.

"Ah-hah," I stammered. "I, uh…really don't know at this point. I know that…um…never mind."

"I see," she replied quietly. She then gave me a smile that seemed…forced. "Well! I didn't mean to keep you from what you're doing." She gestured to my pack. "What's the lesson for today? Maybe I can help?"

I forced a smile of my own and dug around inside my pack. "Looks like it's Japanese today. Are you interested?" I held out the book.

"Sure!" She accepted it, but it seemed like she was forcing herself again.


	7. Unexpected Support II

**Chapter Seven: Unexpected Support II**

Math today.

Fortunately, math was one of my better subjects, so I didn't need help teaching this one to my 'student'. I was still glad for the company when I heard a knock at the door. "Come in!"

The door opened, and I was surprised to see Miyazawa-san enter, carrying a box. She saw me and asked, "Is this okay?"

"Sure, sure, come on in." I gestured and she came over to where I was seated. I was surprised to see her since I really hadn't talked to her much beyond introductions and some small talk, even at Fuuko's birthday party.

"I heard that the birthday girl invited people to her sister's wedding, and that you've been trying to help her recover." She gestured toward me with the box. "I thought that I'd bring this to…support you, I guess?" she giggled.

"Thanks. Is that your cooking stuff?"

She giggled again while taking the box to a nearby counter. She took from it her cooking equipment: a hot plate, a small coffee maker, and a bag containing what I assumed to be the ingredients.

"Wow, you always come prepared, don't you?" I admired her drive to take care of others. "Hey, how is that one guy doing? The one in the red shirt? Hachi? Something like that?"

She smiled at my questions, which caused me to wonder if she smiled at everything everyone said. "Everyone's fine. If he's the one I think you're talking about, I saw him a couple of days ago, beat up again. At least the wounds were different than the ones I treated." Her smile faded as she sighed. "I wish I could do something to stop the fighting."

Damn; my 'help me' button had been triggered again. "Miyazawa-san, I'm pretty busy through Saturday afternoon, but I'll see if I can help at all the rest of the weekend."

She stopped unpacking and turned to face me. "Oh, you don't have to do that, Okazaki-san. We barely know each other."

I gestured to her. "If you can be bothered to come all the way out here to help me, I think I ought to be able to help you." I chuckled, feeling somewhat awkward. "Besides, when you said what you just did, it kinda triggered my 'help me' button."

She giggled behind her hand. "You're very sweet, Okazaki-san. You father had some wonderful ideas, but if you could figure out how to solve this problem, a lot of people would be grateful."

I spent the next half-hour eating an amazing meal while listening to her story about two rival gangs fighting for territory. With her attitude and cooking skills, Miyazawa-san would definitely make a great wife for some lucky guy!

Starfish, starfish, starfish, even though Fu-chan was right there. No point in being careless.

* * *

"So this is Fuuko, huh?" Tomoyo asked as she leaned over the bed. "She's cute."

It was 'catch-up' day in Room 225, and my plan was to finish up a history assignment and a math assignment with Fuuko. As usual, I read the problems out loud and then talked my way through answering the questions. Also as usual, all the talking was tiring, but if it helped Fuuko in the future, it would be worth it. Tomoyo had then shown up with a bag with lunch and dinner for both of us. I guessed that she intended to stay for the day.

I almost thanked her for the compliment before I realized that it would sound weird. "She is." Then it occurred to me: "Weren't you here for Fuuko's birthday? Didn't you see her then?"

She nodded. "Sort of. I saw her here in bed, but it was too busy for me to get a good look at her." She straightened, her silver hair settling around her face and shoulders as she looked at me. "Did she look like this when she was handing out the starfish?"

I shook my head. "She looks…well, looked about two years younger." I gave myself a moment to gather my thoughts; I had been thinking about why Fuuko appeared the way that she did. "I think that her appearance at the school was how she remembered herself at the time of the accident. She was awfully short for a third-year, even considering her older sister's height. And her hair is – was – a lot longer than it is here."

"Hm." Tomoyo blinked. "I don't get all that, but that's okay." Fortunately, she didn't seem to catch my slip-ups. "Is this machine breathing for her?"

"Yeah. Her family and I hope that she will start breathing on her own again, soon."

She came around the bed and sat in the chair next to me. "Is it true that I've met her already? That I've…forgotten her?"

I nodded with a familiar heaviness in my heart. "Yeah. Don't feel bad, though; it seems to have affected everyone but me." I shifted uncomfortably. "I think I remember partly because I did a bunch of things to constantly remind myself of her. I have the starfish like all of you, but…" I showed her the back of my hand with Fuuko's name written on it and her eyes widened. "I also have a journal at home of everything I could remember us doing. I'm afraid that I may have forgotten some things, though."

A smile crept across Tomoyo's face. "Damn, Tomoya. If the men of Japan showed even half of your level of dedication, we'd be a much better country."

I shifted uncomfortably again. Thanking her for the compliment would usually be the right thing to do, but it just…I felt like I would have to be arrogant to thank someone for a compliment like that. "I'm not that…good…but thank you for the praise."

The silver-haired girl's smile…softened? She suddenly looked more girly, and I had to take a deep breath and recite my 'Fuuko Mantra'.

"…"

It took me a moment to realize that Tomoyo was speaking to me. "Huh?"

"I asked if you've been eating well."

"Oh." I explained my setup, how I would stay at the Furukawa's on the weekends, earn some money working in their bakery, and use it to buy food for the week (along with whatever bread the family gave to me). Tomoyo listened quietly, nodding at times.

"Well, that explains it," she concluded.

"What? Explains what?" I asked.

She pointed at me. "You posture is terrible, your skin is pale, and your clothes look like they're hanging off of you. You need more food. More nutrients."

Tomoyo crossed her arms. "Starting next Monday, I will bring you vitamins every week. They should help give you the nutrients you're not getting from your food. I'd make meals for you, but I couldn't come all the way out here every day to give them to you." Her eyes lost focus. "Maybe I could make enough for a couple of days; meals that wouldn't spoil too quickly…?"

"You don't have to do that…" I protested.

"I know, but I'm going to. You can thank me anytime," she finished with a smile. This girl certainly brimmed with confidence.

After some lighter conversation, she helped me 'catch-up' Fuuko on the rest of the week's assignments.


	8. Unexpected Support III

**Chapter Eight: Unexpected Support III**

I was reading from the history text when I heard a knock at the door. "Come in," I called.

The door opened, and I was surprised to see the entire Furukawa family. The ladies gave a more traditional greeting of "Hello, Okazaki-san," while Nagisa's dad opted for "Hey, brat."

I quickly gave up my chair for Sanae and went to get a chair for Nagisa. I would have gotten one for Pops, but he beat me to it. "What, you think I can't carry a chair?" he grumbled.

"Akio-san, I believe he was trying to be respectful," Sanae gently scolded before facing me. "That is what you were trying to do, wasn't it?"

"Yes ma'am," I replied honestly while thanking her on the inside for sticking up for me.

"See, dad?" Nagisa chimed in. "I told you Okazaki-san has a good heart; it's just his mouth gets in the way."

Akio just 'Tched' while putting a cigarette in his mouth. Fortunately, he chose not to light it in the hospital. He waved the remaining pack in Fuuko's direction. "That's her, then?"

I walked to the side of the bed opposite Sanae, and resisted the urge to take Fuuko's hand. "If you're talking about the one whose sister got married last month, yes she is."

Akio leaned forward in his chair and took a closer look. "She's cute. Not as cute as Nagisa, of course…" He leaned back and looked over at his daughter. "Is she the rival you were talking about?"

Nagisa blushed furiously and looked down at her fisted hands. "Dad, I never said that she was a rival!"

Sanae saved the day, again. "Akio-san, please stop making up stories like that."

Akio gritted his teeth. "Dammit Sanae, would you please call me Akio without the hon-"

"Pops, please don't swear around Fuuko." I then realized that I had interrupted him. "I'm sorry for interrupting; I meant no disrespect."

Akio looked at me appraisingly, with his eyebrows raised. "Congratulations on your new backbone, kid."

It took me a moment to realize what he was likely congratulating me for: Standing up for Fuuko, I assumed. "Thanks."

"I won't swear around her again." He then jerked a thumb toward the door. "Now get out of here. We have stuff we want to talk to your friend about."

Sanae lightly smacked her husband on the knee. "Akio-san, don't be rude. Okazaki-san has done more for Fuuko-chan than we have." She then turned to me. "He is right, though; we would like some time alone with Fuuko-chan to share some things with her. Would you be willing to allow us that time?"

Sanae always knew the right way to say things. "Sure, ma'am; I'll kill time in the lobby. Just let me know when I can come back."

So I left for the lobby, wondering what they could possibly want to talk to her about. Maybe if Fu-chan's willing she'll tell me what they talked about the next time I see her…no, that doesn't sound right. Her private conversations are hers, whether she participates in them or not. If she tells me without me asking, then that's fine.

As I thought about what the Furukawas might be telling Fu-chan, my eyelids started getting heavy…

* * *

I woke to someone gently shaking me. At first, I was concerned that the staff had found me and was kicking me out, but instead it turned out to be Nagisa's voice I heard. Not a bad way to wake up, I'll admit. "Mmm?"

"Okazaki-san, wake up."

I cracked my eyes open and saw Nagisa, with her parents behind her. Sanae had her usual smile, and Akio had an unusually cheerful grin. "Sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep. What time is it?"

"It's only two-o-clock," Sanae replied. "Have you had a long day already?"

I thought about it as I sat up. "Well, I came in as soon as the hospital allowed visitors, which was about seven, I think, and you came in…wait, when did you come in?"

Akio checked his watch. "Probably about noon." He lowered his arm and looked at me. "How long have you been doing this, brat?"

"Since the beginning of summer break."

All three pairs of eyes widened, which surprised me. I thought they knew about this!

"Amazing…"breathed Nagisa.

Sanae clasped her hands in front of her. "Such devotion…"

Akio yawned. "Not bad."

I was eager to get back to Fuuko. "So…is it okay for me to go back to Fuuko's room?"

Sanae nodded "Yes. We'll be taking our leave, now." She smiled brightly. "Thank you for letting us talk to your friend."

"Uh…no problem." I wasn't sure how much fun they had, but whatever…as long as they're happy. "Well, have a good day Furukawa-san, Sanae-san, Pops. See you on Friday."

After the Furukawas left I headed back to room 225 and spent rest of the day trying to finish the history assignment with Fu-chan.


	9. Confession

**Chapter Nine: Confession**

After yet another week of 'lessons' (with a lot of help from friends) Fu-chan appeared at the school on Sunday again, looking more solid than the last time. By this time, summer break was a little over halfway done, and I was starting to feel burned out. Even with the help of the others I felt like I couldn't do the hospital visits much longer.

But, surprisingly, even stronger than the exhaustion was a pressure from within to…move forward…when it came to Fu-chan.

I'm not even sure when this feeling started. When I first met her back in April, I had no idea the…adventure?...that we would end up on together. In the end, she did most of the work while Furukawa, Sunohara and I mostly stood around or played practical jokes on her, but I really wanted her to succeed in giving everyone starfish carvings to invite them to her sister's wedding.

I know that as I went through her struggles with her, carving the starfish, staying with the Furukawas, and eventually being forgotten by them along with everyone else, Fu-chan and I grew…closer, somehow.

It's like I told Kouko-san at her wedding: I loved her.

I still do.

I need to tell Fu-chan that, and why.

* * *

She sat at her usual desk, still working on sewing starfish patterns onto her blanket.

"Hey," I greeted.

She looked up for a moment. "Okazaki-san," she replied with a smile before returning her attention to her work.

I rubbed my hands against my pant legs, wiping off the sweat as I approached the desk across from her. I still wasn't sure how I was going to confess to her, but I knew that I had to; the pressure from my heart demanded it. Hopefully I could find a way to address it in the flow of the conversation. "Fuuko…could we talk for a bit?"

Fuuko looked at me again, this time putting her work down and extending her hand. "Have you come to confess your love to Fuuko?"

I nearly fell out of my chair. She had to either be joking, or able to read me like a book. "Ah-well…"

She withdrew her hand and resumed her work as though nothing had happened. "Fuuko knows that she is amazing after all. Fuuko is the most amazingest of all girls." Her bravado had returned, though something about her seemed…like she was holding something back. "It's no wonder Okazaki-san's here to confess." She refocused on her sewing.

I had a feeling that she was teasing me, but I decided to respond to her honestly. "A-Actually, that's what I wanted to talk about…"

Her smile faded as her work dropped out of her hands and onto the desktop. "What."

I was too nervous to look her in the face, so I lowered my eyes to the desktop while rubbing my hands on my pant legs again. "I'm…I admit that I'm afraid that this will ruin our friendship, but I can't keep this to myself any longer."

However, I was determined to confess to her face, so I forced myself to look back at her. "Fuuko…you are a very important part of my life. All the talks we've had, the situation with your sister's wedding, even trading jabs in the hallway…" I rubbed the back of my neck nervously. "I've enjoyed those times a lot."

Fuuko averted her eyes while blushing, but said nothing, which only added concern to my nervousness.

"I like the way you are about starfish. I probably won't ever like them the way that you do, but I like the way that you like them, like you don't hold back. You like them, and you're not embarrassed for liking them."

"You have a drive for something; Y-you worked so hard to get people to attend your sister's wedding! I admire that; I haven't had any drive since my shoulder injury."

"You're not afraid of sharing your thoughts and feelings with others. I still don't like being called 'weird guy', but I admire your honesty and courage in calling me that."

I rose from the desk and backed away to a safe distance. "I like you as a girl, Fuuko, and am asking to be your boyfriend." I bowed and waited for her reply. So much for 'flow of the conversation'.

No answer.

It seemed like an eternity passed, but I held my bow.

Still no answer.

Realizing that I probably shouldn't have expected an answer so soon, I straightened back up. "I-I'm sorry for dropping this on you so suddenly; it was thoughtless of me." I rubbed the back of my neck again. "Just…let me know when you have your answer. I'm sorry." I bowed quickly and headed for the classroom exit.

I was about to leave the room when I heard: "W-Wait!"

Even though my heart was pounding and my face felt like it was on fire, I stopped and turned back to her.

Fuuko was still seated at her desk, head down, but I could hear her voice as clearly as if she were standing right in front of me. "Okazaki-san said many nice things about Fuuko. Thank you."

She paused a moment. "But Okazaki-san is wrong about one thing." She held the blanket like she was trying to snuggle it, so I started to slowly walk back to her. If she needed comforting, I wanted to help if I could.

I was about halfway back to her when she raised her head, but looking straight ahead instead of at me. Something about her expression stopped me. "Fuuko is afraid of one feeling. Fuuko feels it every time she is around Tomoya-kun."

I could feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand up at the way she used my first name.

She put the blanket down as she slowly raised herself from her desk and just as slowly started to make her way over to me. Her hands were folded in front of her and her head had lowered again. Facing me but not facing me.

She stopped a short distance away. "When Tomoya-kun is around, Fuuko's heart beats faster. Fuuko's chest feels tight. Fuuko feels very hot." She began to tremble. "Fuuko hates these feelings. Fuuko likes these feelings."

I tried to steady my nerves. "I-I'm s-sorry if I've hurt you somehow."

I was desperately trying to figure out something else to say to put her at ease when she suddenly launched herself at me, throwing her arms around me and sobbing. "Fuuko, what-!"

"Fuuko likes Tomoya-kun! FUUKO LIKES TOMOYA-KUN!" she sobbed into my chest.

My eyes suddenly felt watery, and before I knew it I was wrapping my arms around her shoulders and resting a hand on her head. "F-Fuuko…you, too…?"

"YES! YES!" she wailed as she hugged me tightly as though to absorb me into her very being. "PLEASE BE FUUKO'S BOYFRIEND!"


	10. Phase Shift

**Chapter 10: Phase Shift**

I sat in my usual chair next to Fuuko's bedside, trying to stay awake while listening to Kotomi teach her physics. I couldn't remember if that was one of the classes during my first year, but whatever…

I heard the door open and close, and I turned to see the Yoshinos enter the room. "Hey, there! Good to see you two!"

Yoshino-san simply nodded, but Kouko-san was a little more vocal. "Hello, Okazaki-san. It's good to see you again, as well. Kotomi-chan, how are you?"

"Kouko-san; Yuu-san; pleased to see you again," Kotomi replied with another bow. "I am well, thank you."

Kouko made her way to Kotomi's side of the bed. "Are you teaching Fu-chan from that book?"

"I am."

Kouko looked at the cover. "Physics? I didn't know that was a first-year book."

Kotomi looked blankly at me, then back at Kouko. "I'm helping Fuuko-chan."

Before I could hear any more of the conversation, I found myself dragged into the hallway. "Let's have coffee," Yoshino said.

"I'm sorry; I don't have enough money for coffee and to get back home," I protested.

"Tch. Fine. I'll pay…this time."

I felt a sense of dread as I followed him to the cafeteria.

* * *

As we settled into our seats with steaming cups of coffee, Yoshino got right to the point. "Why are you visiting Kouko's sister so much?"

I took a sip of the coffee to give myself time to think, not to mention I needed the caffeine. "It's a long, involved, and weird story."

"I'll listen to the 'long' and 'involved' parts, but keep the 'weird' to yourself."

"I wish I could, but they're all kind of mashed together."

"Then never mind; I don't want to hear it." He leveled his gaze at me. "Are you interested in her?"

I couldn't tell him that we were already a couple; that would put my answer straight into the 'weird' category. So I gave him the most basic answer. "Yeah, I am."

"How do you plan to take care of her?"

I blinked. "What?"

He leaned back in his chair and sipped at his coffee. "If she comes out of her coma, and you date and marry, how are you going to provide for your family?"

"I've…never really thought about that before."

Another sip. "Kouko checked with your school. You're late for class when you're not skipping it. What kind of job do you think you can get with just a high-school diploma, and one with grades as poor as yours?"

"I…I…"

"Look kid, I don't mean to pick on you. But this is life. You're going to be graduating at the end of this year, and you want to take the first step toward being a family man with Fuuko, right? Say you marry and have a couple of kids. That's going to cost money, and your wife, whoever she is, is going to have her hands full." He reached over and clapped a hand on my shoulder. "So, it's up to you to make enough to take care of them."

He withdrew his hand and was quiet for a minute. "Another thing, kid; for reasons that I can't get into, Kouko's the one you're going to have to talk to to get permission to marry her sister. And she's not going to let some shiftless bum marry her kid sister."

He leaned forward, and I found myself copying him. "My suggestion is that if you want Fuuko in your future, you get off of your ass and make the most of the rest of your year. Study your ass off, if you have to. Learn how to protect your woman too, if you can."

He straightened again and took another sip. "I don't know what your problems are and, right now, I don't care. If you want Fuuko in your future, you'd better make what's best for her more important than your pride. You get me?"

I nodded vigorously."Y-Yes, sir."

He frowned at me. "Don't call me 'sir', dammit. Call me 'Yuu-san'."

"Y-Yes, s-I mean, Yuu-san."

He leaned forward again, with a sly grin. "In fact, if you could help with the hospital costs, even just a little, that could work to your advantage," he finished with a wink.

I smiled in return. "I understand. Thanks a lot."

He jerked his head toward the elevators. "Let's go see how the girls are doing."


	11. Phase Shift II

**Chapter 11 – Phase Shift II**

When we got back to the room, Kotomi and Kouko were talking quietly on the other side of the bed.

They both perked up when they saw us.

"Ah! You're back!" Kouko chirped.

"Tomoya-kun…" Kotomi greeted.

I looked at the high-school genius and had a flash of inspiration. "Kotomi-chan, I need to talk you outside." I gestured toward the door. "Please excuse us for a bit," I said to the Yoshinos as I left.

Kotomi's expression lit up. "Tomoya-kun…" And she followed me out the door.

As we left the room, I turned to face her. "I need your help."

I swear that I saw sparkles in her eyes as she clasped her hands in front of her chest. "Anything."

"I need you to take me through the first two years of high-school courses before the end of summer break. Can you do that?"

It was cute the way she looked up to think. "Uh…" She looked back at me. "Why only two?"

"We're only partway through my third year, so I think I could catch up during winter break. But I need to learn what I missed from slacking off my first two years. I may not have good grades tied to my diploma at this point, but I'd at least like a good recommendation or two from the school." I smiled, not feeling very confident. "I have a future family to provide for, and I think you're the best one to help me."

Again with the eye-sparkles. "Of course, Tomoya-kun. I would be happy to help you."

* * *

Fortunately, Tomoyo had been willing to meet me in front of the school after classes on Saturday. Too willing, really. Unfortunately…

"You want me to what?" Tomoyo crossed her arms and looked at me with disbelief.

"Teach me how to fight," I replied. "I'm not looking to go out and cause trouble, but I want to be able to defend myself and…well, someone else."

"Okazaki, you know I'm trying to put that life behind me!"

"I know, and I feel bad for asking, but you're the only one I can trust, and…well, afford."

"Huh?"

"I don't have enough money for any of the schools around here, and you've shown yourself to have awesome skills anyway, so…" I threw up my hands in resignation. "Look, I'm not going to be a pain in the butt about this; I'd just like to be able to protect my family in the future, and learning how to fight better with my hands and feet would at least be something."

She lowered her arms, and I figured I had reached her then. "A-Alright, I'll teach you what I know. But, you know, I'm not properly trained, either; my fighting is more of a philosophy than a form."

"That's fine with me." I chuckled lightly. "I'm not looking to do a 64-hit combo with my kicks or anything; I just want to be a…less inviting target."

Tomoyo nodded thoughtfully. "All right Okazaki, I understand. When do you want to get started?"

* * *

Before I knew it, I had filled up my schedule beyond anything I would ever have thought possible. Before this year, my summer breaks had never been this full.

It's not like I was busy all day with just enough time to eat and sleep, but…

On Mondays through Fridays I spent the morning and part of the afternoon with Kotomi basically taking lessons, with a lunch break somewhere in there. The rest of the afternoon would be homework that Kotomi somehow managed to get online.

On Tuesday and Thursday evenings I learned from Tomoyo. Instead of teaching me a form, she would help me find my strong and weak points and work on creating a fighting style for me based on that.

Saturdays were 'recovery days', and Sundays were days where I tried to see Fuuko either at the school or at the hospital.

My schedule was still full, but I felt…hopeful…for the future for the first time in a long time.


	12. Revelation

**Chapter 12 – Revelation**

I yawned and shut my eyes as Kyou read examples from the math text to Fu-chan. I had to admit I was surprised that she would do something like this until she explained her goal to be a kindergarten teacher. I smiled to myself as I thought that maybe in the future she would be teaching my kids.

Yeah, right. Maybe in another life.

This would be the last 'lesson' I would do for the time being, so I could shift to my own studies. I hated abandoning Fuuko like that, but Kouko-san supported the idea as well, saying that she had planned to hire a tutor for her sister anyway, but I had at least saved her some money. It felt good to hear that, but I wasn't sure how much I actually helped. I guessed that only time would tell.

Kyou finished up with the chapter and brought her chair around to the other side of the bed to sit across from me. "You look terrible, Tomoya."

I yawned again. "Thanks, you too."

That apparently earned me a kick to the shin. "I'm serious," she complained as I rubbed my shin. "You've been doing this nonstop since the beginning of summer break? That's what, almost six weeks straight?" She pushed a purple lock behind an ear, leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms. "I'm worried that you're going to burn yourself out."

"I'm fine." I gave my stock answer.

"Have you been getting enough sleep?"

"I said I'm fine." Maybe it was because I was tired, but her questions were getting on my nerves.

"Maybe Ryou and I could cover for you-"

"I said I'm fine!" I must have jumped from my chair, since I suddenly found myself on my feet.

Kyou jumped so hard, she must have slid her chair back several inches if the scraping sound was any indication. "Don't…Don't yell at me like that…please," she said quietly.

This part of Kyou always surprised me. She was normally abrasive and sometimes acted outright hostile, but when I would lose my cool, particularly with her, she'd wither and become…well, vulnerable.

I fell back into my chair. "Sorry, Kyou. Just…tired today."

"I can see that," she said, visibly calming. "What I don't understand is: why is she so important to you?" She waved a hand toward the comatose girl. "Who is she? Family?"

I felt another pain in my heart for the girl who had been forgotten. "Her name is Ibuki Fuuko. She would have started school the same time as both of us, but she was in some kind of accident on her way home from orientation. Her…spirit, I guess…carved starfish out of wood blocks to give to everyone at the school to invite them to her older sister's wedding."

"Was that the wedding at the school in May?"

I nodded. "The problem was, as it got closer to the wedding, people started to forget her." I threw my hands up. "It seems I'm the only one who remembers her anymore."

Kyou leaned forward in her chair, purple hair cascading around her face and shoulders, and looked me in the eye. "If we weren't in a hospital way out here, I wouldn't believe any of this." She sighed. "But when you say that…I can't explain it…I suddenly feel an emptiness. Like in my heart."

I nodded sympathetically. "Yeah, that's what I keep hearing. Furukawa and Sunohara have said the same kind of thing." I shrugged. "It could be the only reason I remember is that I wrote her name down a whole bunch of times and kept the starfish she made where I could see them. And I tried to remember everything we did with her."

Kyou had been looking at me with a somewhat sad expression. "You really care about her, don't you?" she mumbled. "Poor Ryou…"

"Ryou?" Now I was confused. "What does she have to do with this?"

Kyou waved a hand. "Nothing, it's…just…don't worry about it." She definitely looked uncomfortable.

"What's wrong?"

"What if…what if Fuuko never comes out of it? Are you going to spend the rest of your life waiting for her? I mean, I'm sure there are plenty of girls, conscious ones, who would go out with you right now."

"What brought this on?"

She squirmed in her seat; it wasn't much, but enough for me to notice. "Well, ah…like Kotomi! Yeah! You're childhood friends, right? You did so much for her recently, right? I bet she's fallen for you!"

'I bet?' "I-I suppose…"

"And what about Nagisa? You've been encouraging her with the Drama Club. You've…been a source of strength for her. Don't you think she might have feelings for you because of that?"

It was my turn to squirm. "I, um…I hadn't thought about that."

Kyou was on a roll. "And there must be others! I mean, sure, you're called a 'delinquent', but that's just because you come to school late when you're not skipping. You've done a lot of good things for people. Like protecting Tomoyo by taking the blame for that fight!" She smiled slyly. "You think duty is the only reason she used to stop by to wake you up? Heck, Ryou and I have been wanting to get close to you since last year, and-" Her hands flew to her mouth as her eyes widened.

The temperature of the room suddenly dropped twenty degrees and she started scooting away from me, rapidly. "K-Kyou? Y-You and Fujibayashi…?" This was as awkward as it could get.

I really hoped that Fuuko was missing this part of the conversation.

Meanwhile, Kyou was alternating flushing and paling and, in spite of the situation, I was concerned. "K-Kyou? Are you okay?" It was a stupid question, but it was reflexive and I didn't know what else to say.

Kyou screamed. Several times, in fact. At least her hands were still covering her mouth.

"I have to go! I have to gooooo!" She bolted from her chair and fled the room.

I slouched back in my chair with a whole boatload of information to try to process. This could make my studies awkward…


	13. Redirection

**Chapter 13 – Redirection**

I rested on the bench with my face in my hands, trying to process what Kyou had blabbed to me. Tomoyo-chan? Kotomi-chan? Nagisa-san? Ryou-san and *ugh* Kyou? Damn, why don't we just throw in Yukine while we're at it?!

Actually, Yukine might not be so bad; she's quiet, a friendly ear, and makes great coffee.

I shook my head to try and clear it, and followed a compulsion to look at the back of my hand.

' _Fuuko'_

Dammit, I almost lost her again! I squeezed my eyes shut. Starfish, starfish, starfish, bouncy tune, sister's wedding, party hat! I hate getting caught like that! I think I remembered the important parts; I promised myself to double-check my list at home to be sure.

Still, that was quite the bomb Kyou dropped on me. Even if she was right, why would all these girls have been interested in me? I'm a third-year delinquent! I mean, I could understand Kotomi, maybe; we were childhood friends, though I guess that could be an argument against it as well.

Nagisa…I don't know. Maybe in another reality, but she seemed more like a sweet big sister to me than anything.

What about Tomoyo? You know, I could see that happening. She's strong but vulnerable. She knows what she wants and goes after it. I think she'll go far in life.

I don't know that much about Ryou other than her being class rep and very shy…which is probably why I don't know that much about Ryou other than her being class rep and very shy.

And Kyou…forget that! I wouldn't want to spend the next fifty-plus years being threatened with physical harm or death over the smallest things every day by my wife!

Starfish, starfish, starfish, just to be on the safe side.

But, as sappy as it sounds, Fuuko touched my heart first. How hard she worked on the starfish, how she was doing it for her sister. I mean, she's got to have a strong will to send her spirit to do all of this.

Then that one horrible thought hit me again: What if Fuuko stopped breathing because she was exerting herself at school? Did she use the last of her strength to congratulate her sister and brother-in-law at their wedding before falling further into her coma? Can't I do anything more to help her? I smacked a fist into my hand.

"Okazaki-san?"

I looked up into a concerned face. "Hey, Furukawa."

"Are you okay? You look worried about something."

I sighed. "Do you remember Fuuko?"

"From the birthday party? Of course. Why?"

I sighed. As was typical for everyone but me, no memory but a heavy feeling 'for some reason', so I told that same story that I had told many times before.

"…but I was just thinking that if pushing herself to make all of those starfish, it might have affected her body, too."

Nagisa sighed heavily. "I'm sorry for your friend. I guess…I can see how that could happen, but I don't know much about ghosts or things like that."

I grunted. "You know, if I could figure out how she does that, maybe I use it to help her somehow."

I felt a burning on the side of my face, so I looked over to Nagisa, who was smiling at me. "What?" I asked.

"Just…you," she said happily. "You're always trying to help others. Honestly, I'm a little jealous of Fuuko…" She blushed.

"Jealous? Why?"

"Uhhhh...well, that is…Maybe you could ask Kotomi-chan?"

"Ask her about what?" Momentary subject whiplash.

"About Fuuko-san's situation!"

"Hey, that's right!" I couldn't believe it hadn't occurred to me. "She's a walking library!" I quickly got up to find her, when Nagisa's voice stopped me.

"Can I come with you?"

I wasn't sure why she'd want to come with me, since she didn't remember Fuuko. "Why?"

Nagisa knotted her fingers. "Because…you've helped me a lot, and this is important to you, so I want to help."

I stared at her for a moment, stunned. Well, at least she couldn't hurt. "Come on, then."

She smiled again and bounced to her feet. "Library, right?"

I returned her smile. "Where else?"

* * *

"Tomoya-kun, Nagisa-san, good afternoon." There was something oddly comforting in hearing her typical style of greeting.

"Kotomi-chan, good afternoon." Nagisa replied.

"Heya," I greeted. "I was hoping that you could help me with something." I then explained Fuuko's situation to her; how she was in a hospital but still appearing at the high school. The same old story.

"Ikiryo."

"What?"

"Ikiryo," she repeated. "A soul that has left a living body and can visit other places."

"I see. Well, do you know if there's any way to help her? Could we use her spirit to somehow get her out of her coma?"

Kotomi looked up and put a finger to her lips. After about a minute or so, she looked back at me. "I'm sorry, Tomoya-kun. There's just not enough reliable information for me to give you an answer." She smiled. "But it couldn't hurt to talk to her spirit."

"I see…" I gently bopped a fist against my knee. "Well, thanks anyway. If you find out anything that could help, will you let me know?"

"Of course."

I started to my feet, when Kotomi unexpectedly took my hand. "Tomoya-kun?"

I sat back down. "Yeah?"

"About Fuuko-san…"

"What about her?"

"Is she…special to you?"

I nodded. "I would have to say 'yeah' to that." Explaining myself would likely cause confusion, not to mention hurt feelings.

She nodded slowly, likely to herself. "I see…" There was a barely-noticeable change to her expression; she looked kind of…sad?

"Kotomi-chan?"

She blinked, her expression relaxing again. "I will help you in any way I can."

"Thank you. And, uh, thanks for the help with English."

Feeling somewhat disturbed by Kotomi's behavior, I left the library with Nagisa in tow.


	14. The New Student

**Chapter 14 – The New Student**

"I'm off!" I called as I stood at the entrance to Furukawa Bakery.

As I turned to leave the bakery, I heard Furukawa-san call "Wait!" I turned back to see her running up to me with a box in her hands.

"I made a lunch for you," she said. "The school's cafeteria is closed, right?" Before I could reply, she continued. "And the convenience store is too far away. So you'll go hungry if you don't take something! So please, take this lunch."

I wasn't sure what to say: I was grateful for the meal, but the way she suddenly gave it to me left me feeling overwhelmed. "Uh…thanks, Furukawa-san."

"You're welcome!"

I noticed that she was looking at me rather intently. "Did you need something else before I go? I'm afraid that I'll end up late as it is."

Furukawa quickly looked down at the bakery floor. "Um…well…" she started twisting her foot, rubbing the toes of her slippers against the floor. "We've known each other for while, so…"

"So…" I prompted.

"…Would you be willing to call me Nagisa-san?" She suddenly blushed and waved her hands in front of herself. "It's not like I'm trying to make you call me that just because I made you a lunch or anything like that! Um…"

I nodded in understanding. "I'll think about it. But right now I need to get going." I waved as I turned to leave. "Have a good day!"

She smiled, blush still in place. "You too!"

* * *

"So the middle term is negative but the last term is positive, which means-"

"I get it; it's '(x-1)', right?"

Kotomi nodded vigorously enough that her hair ornaments bobbed. "That's right. Very good, Tomoya-kun."

I smiled awkwardly. "I can't believe how easy this stuff is. And I wasted all that time…" I looked at my work and shook my head in disgust. "I feel so stupid."

I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked over at Kotomi, who smiled at me. "Tomoya-kun, you are smart. You were hurt and didn't have anyone you could talk to." She lowered her eyes.

Of course she would understand that; she had lost her parents and then had some strange man visiting her home almost every day. Of course she'd understand feeling isolated and hurt.

She returned her soft gaze to my face. "I do understand that Sunohara-san is your friend and an interesting person, but he is not the type to encourage you to greater things."

Ain't that the truth? Of course, when the chips were down, he would prove his loyalty…but I think I understood what she was trying to tell me. "Yeah, I suppose."

Kotomi tilted her head and gave me a light smile. "I believe in you, Tomoya-kun. For someone who does not like books, you have already covered much in such a short amount of time."

"Thanks." I returned her smile. "Hey, if I keep going at this rate, will I be caught up by the end of summer break?"

"There are a lot of variables, but…" She laid a finger at her cheek and looked upward; the sign of great calculations. "I'm sorry, I would have to say 'no'; it would take us until about three weeks into Fall Term, and that's if you went straight from school to your extra studies."

I nodded. "I can live with that." I nudged her with my elbow. "Could you put up with me that long?"

Those eye-sparkles again. "Absolutely, Tomoya-kun."

* * *

I was hungry after the morning lesson, so after saying good-bye to Kotomi-chan I made my way to the reference room. It was a quiet atmosphere, and there were books that I could read while eating my lunch. I remembered saying some mean things about the books there the first time I visited, but now I was curious to see if I could learn anything from them.

I was surprised to open the door to the room and find…"Miyazawa-san?"

Yukine looked up from the book she was reading and smiled kindly. "Okazaki-san! It's good to see you again."

I smiled as I ran a hand through my hair self-consciously. "Good to see you, too. What are you doing here? It's summer break, you know."

She giggled. "Of course I know that. There's just not much for me to do at home, and the guys need me here just in case."

"Still having problems with the gangs?" I plopped down into the chair across from her. "Sorry, I haven't forgotten about my promise. It's just…been busy."

Yukine giggled again. "I understand, Okazaki-senpai; you've been busy helping your friend."

"Yeah, but now I've kinda been redirected toward my own studies," I said as I unpacked the lunch Nagisa had made for me. "I'm trying to make up for the time I spent messing around in school."

"That sounds difficult."

"Maybe. I just had my first study session with Kotomi-chan."

"The genius girl?"

I nodded. "That's the one. Anyway, I'm hoping that doing this'll improve my chances of getting a better job. If I'm going to have a family someday, I need to be a good provider."

Yukine smiled softly. "I believe you can do it, Tomoya-san. You have a good heart and you have drive, even if you don't see it yourself."

I probably blushed, if her giggle was any indicator. "Thanks, Miyazawa-san."

"My pleasure." Apparently noticing my lunch, she said, "I see you have your meal for this afternoon. If you find yourself without a lunch, please feel free to stop by here; I will be happy to make something for you. By the way, would you like some coffee?"

I checked my lunch box, and noticed that Nagisa hadn't included anything to drink. "Yes, please."

"Any sugar or cream?"

"No, thanks."

She set a steaming mug in front of me and I picked it up and inhaled the vapor. Nice smell. I imagined the caffeine going directly to my brain.

I heard Yukine giggle yet again. "Are you going to drink it or just smell it, senpai?"

I gave her a mildly irritated glance. "Just…let me enjoy the coffee, okay? I don't get to have coffee this good very often, anyway."

She leaned forward in her chair. "Really? It…it's really that good?"

"Yeah. Do you use a special bean or something?"

"N-No, it's regular instant."

Impressive. "Well, then it must be something in the way that you make it."

She blushed and, for some reason, started looking around the room. "Th-Thank you, Okazaki-senpai. I-I don't do anything special."

Her behavior left me feeling concerned. "Are you okay? I'm sorry, did I embarrass you?"

She waved her hands in front of herself. "No, no not at all. I just…It's just coffee, and…I guess I'm not used to having nice things said about me. You surprised me, that's all." She giggled yet again.

I was still a little concerned, but I decided to let it go for now.

After some light conversation and a small rice omelet I excused myself to go to my first combat lesson with Tomoyo.

* * *

Tomoyo was waiting for me at a field near the school, a place large enough for us to run around in but small enough for a high likelihood of privacy. She was wearing the school's summer t-shirt along with the winter's sweat pants. The combination would normally be forbidden on school grounds, but school was out, and…well, Tomoyo never seemed to care about formalities anyway.

"Thanks again for this, Tomoyo," I greeted.

Tomoyo smiled. "I'm glad to help. At least I'll feel better knowing that my mercenary days won't have been wasted."

I returned her smile. "I'm grateful for those mercenary days now."

Tomoyo's cheeks reddened a bit as she coughed. "So, let's start with your fighting stance. I'm not going to have you punch or kick yet; I just want to get an idea of your center of balance, where you see your strengths, that kind of thing."

I nodded and set myself up. "Like this?"

We then spent the rest of our time figuring out my strengths and weaknesses. "So we know what to work on," Tomoyo had said. The limits of my right shoulder would have to be considered, of course, but in the end, she figured that with the right training I could still be a human wrecking ball if the situation demanded it.


	15. Interception

**Chapter Fifteen: Interception!**

I stopped at the convenience store to pick up a snack on the way back to Furukawa Bakery. It may have been my first lesson with Tomoyo, but she had worked me enough for me to get hungry again.

As I rounded a corner, I crumpled up my juice can and threw it away. When I turned in the direction of Furukawa Bakery…

"Tomoya!" A familiar voice called out.

Damn.

The Fujibayashi twins stood a good distance away with bags hanging from their arms. Naturally, Kyou had been the one who called to me.

I tried to walk briskly away to avoid them. I had no problem with Ryou, but Kyou…

"Tomoya, wait up!"

"Sorry!" I called over my shoulder. "Gotta get home quickly! See you later!"

As expected, I felt a hand on my shoulder moments later, turning me around to face its owner. "Shame on you!" Kyou scolded. "Walking off like that and leaving two young and helpless girls to walk alone in the dark!"

"It's not dark yet," I retorted. "And you're far from helpless."

"What was that? I couldn't hear you," Kyou said, with her trademark 'murder eyes' firmly in place.

"Nothing, just thinking out loud."

"Anyway, are you going to let Ryou walk home all by herself? A real gentleman would make sure she gets home safely!"

"And carry her bags, of course!" I mockingly replied. "And fight off any thugs on the way!"

Kyou missed my jab. "Exactly! And you can start with these!" She unloaded her bags onto me. They were the kind with handles, so you could loop them over your arms. Or, in this case, my arms.

She turned to her sister. "Ryou, go ahead; give him your bags."

"But Onee-chan…he's already carrying so many…I-I can carry-"

"Uh-uh. Tomoya's willing to carry our bags and walk us home. He's such a gentleman, right?"

Even in the dimming light, I could see a blush creep across Ryou's face. "I-If it's okay…" she turned toward me; I noticed that she wouldn't look me in the eye. "I-Is this okay, Okazaki-kun?"

"Oh, for crying out loud!" Kyou grabbed the bags from her sister and finished loading my arms with them; I swear my body weight doubled with the load.

"Geez, what have you got in here? Anvils?" I complained.

"Now, no complaining," Kyou said as she patted my chest. "You offered, so deal with it."

I leveled a glare at her. "I don't remember offering to help."

Kyou smiled a familiar smile. "Should I smack you in the head a few times to help you with your memory?"

"Onee-chan!"

"No need," I said. "I'm loaded up, so let's get this over with. Lead the way."

"That's the spirit!" Kyou sure seemed excited as she started for home. Ryou glanced at me several times before following her sister.

"Thanks for your help, Tomoya," Kyou said as she and Ryou took the bags back from me.

Ryou watched her sister go into their house before turning to me. "I'm sorry, Okazaki-kun. Onee-chan had no right to treat you like that," she pouted.

"It's fine," I grunted. "It's…Kyou."

Ryou giggled softly. "Yes, that's Onee-chan." Then her expression turned serious. "Okazaki-kun…"

"Yes?"

"Do…How…uh…"

"Fujibayashi-san?"

"Have a good evening!" she blurted before running through the front door and slamming the door behind her.

I stood there staring at the house with what must have been a stupid look before turning to leave.

"Tomoya!"

Sigh.

Kyou rushed out of the house and up to me. "I heard that you're trying to improve yourself."

"How did you-"

"Anyway, would you like to learn how to cook? I'm going to be teaching Ryou, and she could use a cooking partner."

"I can already cook okay."

"I'm not talking about simple dishes like the ones you make. I'm talking about good meals, with the right mix of meat and grain and vegetables." She nudged me with her elbow."Come on, it'll be fun! And like I said, Ryou needs a cooking partner. When are you free?"

I could see that I wouldn't be getting out of this. "Monday, Wednesday, and Friday evenings are fine," I grunted.

"Great!" She pumped her fist. "See you then!"

"When?"

"Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, of course!" Kyou waved at me as she walked back to her house. "See ya!"

As I walked home, I couldn't help but feel a sense of dread about what was to come.


	16. Julia Childish

**Chapter 16: Julia Childish**

I wiped the sweat from my forehead as I trudged down the road to the Fujibayashi house. Today's session with Tomoyo had been particularly brutal; to build up my overall strength, she had me carrying buckets of water all over the place. Fill it here, dump it there, go back and fill it again. I felt like I was in an old 'Karate Kid' movie, with Tomoyo as my Mr. Miyagi.

I was still working out some kinks from my arms when I arrived. Kyou was at the front door to greet me.

"Took you long enough," she complained.

"Nice to see you, too," I countered.

"Tch. Come on, Ryou's been waiting for you," the elder twin said, as she turned to enter the kitchen.

"I never said that!" I heard Ryou protest. "Onee-chan, don't say things like that!"

"Hey, Fujibayashi," I greeted. "Don't worry; I never pay much attention to what your sister says, anyway." I then marveled as the twins expressed relief and irritation at the same time. Similar faces, very different expressions. Interesting.

"Anyway," Kyou growled, "today I'm teaching Ryou how to prepare curry."

"I already know how to make curry," I said.

"But Ryou doesn't and, frankly, you probably don't know how to make good curry, so I'm going to help the two of you with that."

I ignored the obvious dig and went over to the counter where the ingredients and cooking supplies sat. "So…this is what we're using today?"

"Yup!" Kyou chirped. "So the first thing you two need to do is…"And so my cooking education started.

Truth be told, I did enjoy cooking. I never considered myself to be any kind of chef, but there's something neat about being able to eat food that you've prepared yourself. And it's impressive to be taught by someone like Kyou, whose cooking I'd had before. She may have had a terrible attitude, at least toward Sunohara and me, but I couldn't say anything bad about her cooking.

Kyou prepared a dish while describing the steps, and I found myself…mesmerized? Yeah, that's the word. Every movement was clearly planned and very smooth. One instruction flowed into the next, and I found it hard to believe how she could take words on a page and turn them into tasty art.

As I reached to turn a page from the cookbook, I saw the back of my hand.

' _Fuuko'_

My heart felt heavy again as I thought of the girl lying in the hospital, and the girl who used to scamper around the school giving out wooden starfish.

"Okazaki-kun, what's wrong?"

I looked over at Fujibayashi and, when I blinked, felt something on my cheek. "Huh?"

She had a worried look on her face. "Are you crying?"

I reached up and touched my cheek; sure enough it was a tear. "I don't know. I guess so."

"Hey, you two," Kyou admonished. "Save the lovey-dovey stuff for later."

"Onee-chan!" Ryou protested. "There's no lovey-dovey stuff going on! It's Okazaki-kun…"

Kyou stopped her food prep and came over to us. "The onion getting to you, Tomoya? Just man up and deal with it."

"It's not the onion, Onee-chan! Have some compassion! Okazaki-kun's-"

"It's all right," I interrupted, raising a hand. "I just thought of my friend from the hospital and it got to me."

Kyou's expression softened. "Starfish girl?"

"Yeah."

"Are you gonna be all right? We can stop now, if you need to."

I was surprised by the sudden about-face in her behavior. "No…I-I'll be fine, thanks." I took a deep breath, and that seemed to alleviate the sadness. "I'm sorry, where were we?"

Kyou suddenly seemed flustered for some reason. "Th-The next step is t-to…" And so I learned several new ways to prepare curry.

It was a start, but I found myself looking forward learning how to prepare different kinds of meals. At least I got to eat my own home-cooked meal. Not bad.

* * *

Overall, things were going well: I was getting a top-notch education from Kotomi, combat training from Tomoyo, and cooking lessons from Kyou. I was well on my way to being a well-rounded guy and productive member of Japanese society.

What could possibly go wrong?


	17. Unnatural Disaster

**Chapter 17 – Unnatural Disaster**

I hated parabolas. At least I hated them after learning more about them.

Under Kotomi's teaching, I'd been trying to graph (x - 2)2 = 8(y + 1) for at least thirty minutes.

"So the vertex is (h, k), which would be… '(2, -1)', right?" I looked over at Kotomi for reassurance.

Purple eyes twinkled with her smile. "Right, and which form of the equation do you derive this from?"

I hated parabolas. "'Standard'? 'Y-intercept' is the y=ax2+bx+c equation, so it's got to be 'standard'."

"Right again, Tomoya-kun." I heard her scoot a little closer. "And what is value of the axis of symmetry?"

"Well, that would have to be the x-value of the vertex in this case, so '2'." I looked over at her again.

Kotomi clapped and scooted even closer. What was she, a human glacier? "And the directrix?"

Crap. The directrix, the directrix…Let's see, it's the same distance from the vertex as the focus…I have the equation around here…ah! 'y=k-a', so… "-3?"

Scoot, scoot. "Very good, Tomoya-kun." I could practically feel her breath against my face; that was definitely some kind of mint I smelled. "And…A-And…"

I finished writing and looked up. "Yeah? What's the next question, Kotom-"

I found myself looking into beautiful violet-colored eyes. They were so warm and inviting, just like her voice, the softness of her skin as she placed a hand on my cheek. Those violet orbs closed slowly as she leaned toward me, her lips-

Starfish.

STARFISH!

I must have backpedaled pretty fast, because I suddenly found myself out of my chair on my butt on the floor.

"Tomoya-kun!" I couldn't be sure, but Kotomi looked shocked and worried at the same time as she knelt down and put her arms around me. "Are you hurt?"

"Starfish."

"What?" She shook her head, her pigtails flapping with the motion.

"Starfish," I repeated. "Starfish, starfish, starfish, bouncy tune, sister's wedding, party hat, oh my GOD I almost forgot again!"

Kotomi gave me a puzzled expression. "Tomoya-kun, what are you talking about?"

"Fuuko," I replied, somewhat out of breath. "I had forgotten about her again. Damn me!"

"Fuuko? Are you talking about the girl in the hospital?"

"Yes! Everyone else has forgotten about her, but I won't! I can't!"

I felt her pull away and looked over at her as I heard a hiccup.

Tears glistened in her eyes as she looked at me. "Tomoya…kun…do you…like…Fuuko?"

I realized what she had been trying to do, and my heart sank. "I'm sorry, Kotomi-chan…I didn't know…I mean…Kyou had said something, but-"

"Tomoya-kun…it hurts…"

Suddenly she was in my arms, with her face buried in my chest as she sobbed uncontrollably. Kotomi-chan was my oldest and dearest friend…

…and I had just broken her heart.

* * *

After having lunch in the Reference Room I trudged out to the field where I was supposed to meet with Tomoyo for my 'combat training'. Kotomi seemed to have calmed down by the time I left the library, but I was still smarting from the conversation and had considered canceling my training for the day. I realized, though, that maybe the training would help clear my mind, maybe give me a success to make up for my failure.

Tomoyo stood in the middle of the field with her hands on her hips and an irritated expression. "You're late, Okazaki."

I lifted my hands in defeat. "I know, I'm sorry. I had a…rough time with my studies this morning and got held up."

Tomoyo's expression softened in response. "All right, I'll let it slide. At least you're trying, and I don't want to mess that up."

"Thanks," I said while waving a hand. "What am I working on today?"

"Reflex training," she replied, and her smile looked a little odd. "But it may not be what you're used to."

"How's that?"

She knelt down on the ground and sat on her heels. "Sit in front of me, like this."

I sat on the ground, copying her posture as best as I could. "Is this good?"

She nodded. "That'll work. Now, what we're going to do is try to poke each other."

My eyebrows rose. "Excuse me?"

"It'll be fun; what we'll do is try to poke each other in the side for a tickle response. So, one of us tries to poke and the other tries to block or parry."

I had to admit that that certainly gave me a good reason to defend myself; I hated being tickled.

"Now remember, Okazaki," she continued, "the idea isn't to try to anticipate what the other person will do, but to let your body respond to the threat. You've shown me that you're definitely quick enough to defend yourself against me; what you need to do is train your mind to let your body do what it needs to. Got it?"

I nodded. "I got it."

She ran a hand through her silver locks. "So…do you want to attack or defend first?"

I didn't want to, but…"Defend. I am the student, after all."

"One thing I forgot," she added. "We need to look each other in the eyes for this. Not only does it train you not to be intimidated, but you'll also be able to tell when your opponent is about to do something by watching their eyes. Also, a turn ends when a poke has been successfully deflected." I squirmed a bit, and she chuckled. "Don't worry; I think you'll do great. Ready?"

"Let's go."

Her smile faded to a more serious expression. A moment later, her left hand shot out at an incredible speed and poked me in the side. My snort must have sounded amusing, because she chuckled. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," I replied. "You know how to pull your punches."

Her smile turned serious again as her eyes settled on mine, and this time her right hand shot out. I got my hand out to parry, but it was too late, as she poked me in the other side. Another snort, another chuckle.

"Come on, Okazaki; Your body knows what to do; just let it do it."

"Right." I closed my eyes and took a deep, cleansing breath. I opened them again. "Ready."

Her left hand shot out again, and I found her wrist caught in my left hand.

She nodded approvingly. "Good!" She lowered her arms to her sides. "Your turn."

I admit I was a little anxious about this. I wasn't worried about hurting her; I knew how to pull my punches, too. It was more that I was worried about poking her in one of her breasts by accident; my aim still wasn't the best. But, she trusted my ability, so…

My hand hadn't even crossed half the distanced to her before she had caught it. "What the-"

"You have a 'tell'," she said, responding to my unasked question. "Like I said earlier, you can tell when someone's about to act by the look in their eyes. So keep your face normal and your opponent will have a harder time knowing what you're about to do." She gestured to me, causing me to flinch. "Do you want another shot, for practice?"

"No, I'll take the penalty. I'll keep that in mind for next time, though."

I managed to catch her next strike, which surprised us both. "You're picking this up quickly," she said.

"I hate being tickled."

She chuckled lightly. "Gotcha. Well, your turn again."

I took another deep breath and cleared my mind. My left hand shot out, and she snorted. I never knew that girls could snort!

*poke* A hit.

*slap* A parry.

*poke* *poke*

*slap*

* * *

Tomoyo got a funny look in her eye so I knew she was about to act. She gave me a shocked look as I released her wrist. "What?" I asked.

She shook her head in disbelief. "You're amazing. I switched it up without telling you; you just blocked seven in a row."

"Seven? Really? I wasn't counting."

Apparently I had a shocked look myself, because she laughed and shook her head again, her silver hair swaying. "Amazing. Anyway, it's your turn again. A couple more rounds, then I think we'll call it a day."

"Okay." I nodded and then readied myself.

*poke*

"Damn, I even saw that coming," she said while shaking out her arms. "I must be getting tired."

"We have been doing this for about forty-five minutes. Ready?"

"Come at me," she challenged.

*poke* *poke* *poke* *poke* *poke**poke* *poke* *poke* *poke* *poke* *poke* *poke* *poke* *poke* *poke* *poke*

"Stop! Stop!" she gasped. "You win! Stop!"

*poke* *poke* *poke* *po-

She pounced, throwing me onto my back. When the dust settled, she was sitting on top of me, with my arms trapped under her hands and legs, and her hair hanging like a silver curtain around us.

"That's not fair," I half-heartedly complained.

She was sweating and visibly trembling. "I did say 'stop', didn't I?" she retorted, her voice still shaky from laughter.

I looked down at my situation. "Well, you got what you wanted, I guess." I shrugged my shoulders as I looked back up at her. "Now what do…we…"

Her gaze was intense. "Tomoya…"

Oh, boy; she's using my first name. "Yeah?" I answered cautiously.

She bit her lower lip as she lowered her eyes and I knew, just knew, dammit, what was coming next. "Tomoya, I've been thinking…"

After a long pause I prompted, "You've been thinking…"

"Just…just give me a minute, okay?"

"Sure. Can you at least get off my arms? They're starting to go numb."

Without saying anything, she moved her hands and legs, setting my arms free. I shook them to get the circulation back.

"Tomoya…" She'd apparently got her train of thought. "I've really enjoyed our times together…not just the training sessions, but our conversations outside of training."

"Thanks. I've enjoyed them, too."

"But…but I want more." She still wouldn't look me in the eye. "I want…to be yours…and for you…to be…mine."

I would have used another profanity, but the author was already pushing it as a Christian.

"So…I like you, Tomoya…Will you be my boyfriend?"

I closed my eyes and swallowed the lump in my throat; breaking two hearts in one day… "Tomoyo, please let me up."

She carefully got off of me and sat on her heels again.

I also sat on my heels and then bowed with my face touching the ground. "I'm very sorry Tomoyo, but I'm already with someone." I straightened. "I'm…honored that you think of me this way, really, and I…regret that I can't return your feelings."

I saw a lot of emotions on her face, but I couldn't tell exactly what they were.

"I, uh…" She didn't seem to know what to say. "I, uh, didn't expect this," she admitted with what sounded like an embarrassed chuckle as she scratched the back of her neck. "I mean, I had no idea that you already had someone. I…I'm sorry for putting you in that position."

I didn't know what to say. "A-Are you going to be okay?"

She waved a dismissive hand. "I'll be fine, Okazaki. I…I just need some time to think." She smiled at me, but I could swear that there was sadness behind that smile. "See you at the next session?"

"Sure."

She got to her feet and started to walk off. "See you."

I also got to my feet. "Yeah, see you." I half-waved at her and turned the other way to head home.

I had only taken a handful of steps before I heard footsteps running towards me from behind and, before I knew it, a pair of arms was wrapped around me. "What-?"

"Tomoya," came a familiar voice from behind me, and it wasn't hard to recognize it as Tomoyo's. "Please…just for a minute…"

I understood, and let her cry against my back. Her sobs intensified when I put one of my hands over hers and squeezed it gently.

By the time I got to the twins' house, I had Kotomi's dried tears on the front of my shirt, and Tomoyo's on the back.

What a crummy day.


	18. Cascade Failure

**Chapter 18 – Cascade Failure**

"I'm home," I called as I passed through the doorway between the bakery and the Furukawas' home. Today's 'Cooking with Kyou' had been uneventful, thankfully, considering how my time with Kotomi-chan and Tomoyo had gone.

"Welcome home, Okazaki-san." Sanae greeted. Something about the way she presented herself made any place feel like 'home'. "How was your cooking lesson?"

"It was okay. I'm not very good yet, but at least I had fun trying."

"Tch. You're not trying to win Nagisa over with your cooking, are you?" Pops scoffed. "Just so you know, she won't be won over that way, brat. Not that I'd ever give her to you anyway!"

"Don't worry, Pops. I'm just trying to make myself better. I guess you could say that I'm trying to beat the 'me' of yesterday."

"Speaking of cooking; Nagisa has apparently made dinner for you," Sanae said. "This morning, she told me not to worry about dinner for you because she wanted to make something special."

I smiled, probably for the first time that day. "Well, that's kind of her-" My brain froze as several warning flags rose to full staff. With the way my day had been going…

"What's the matter, brat? Don't you like Nagisa's cooking? It's not like Sanae-san's bread, at least."

"Pops…"

Akio paled. "Damn. And she's standing right there!"

"My bread is…My bread is…"

I didn't get to hear the rest of it this time, as she rushed out into the bakery and, I assumed, out the door.

Pops followed her, and I heard rustling sounds from the bakery, followed by "FFAANAE! IIII UFFF OOOOOO!"

I shook my head and made my way to the kitchen. At least I'd have some peace and quiet for a while.

"O-Okazaki-san!" Sure enough, Nagisa was there, with a couple of steaming pots on the stove. "G-go out to the living room and rest. I'll be out in a few minutes with d-dinner."

"Got it." I replied as I turned back toward the living room.

* * *

"Itadakimasu!"

I didn't know what it was that Nagisa made, and I was too embarrassed to ask; all I know is that it tasted good. It had beef, rice, beans, and some kind of seasoning that was just right.

"Hey, this is really good!" I had to praise her cooking; I'd be a jerk not to, with the way I was vacuuming it up.

Nagisa ducked her head shyly. "Th-thank you. I wanted to make something you like. Since you've said that you don't have a favorite food, I tried to find out your favorite flavors."

I nodded quite vigorously. "Thanks. I really appreciate it."

Nagisa's eyes somehow caught mine. "You do? Really?"

I smiled, feeling a little awkward. "Yeah. I do."

"Really really?"

"Yes, 'really really'."

Nagisa lowered her head again. "Um, Okazaki-san?"

"Yeah?"

"The real reason I made this was to…was to…" She started squirming in her seat.

Those red flags again. "Nagisa-san?"

She leveled her gaze at me again. "I made this to tell you…to…tell you…"

Please, no…

She forcefully bowed her head, nearly slamming it into the table. "To tell you that I want to make meals for you from now on! IlikeyouOkazakisanPleasebewithme!"

My eyes fell shut. Oh, God…not three in one day…

I took a deep breath; my hands shook in spite of my efforts to stay calm. "Nagisa-san…" I sighed again. "I'm really sorry. You're a really nice girl, and I appreciate your cooking and your hospitality in general, but…I'm already with someone." Aw crap, I'm losing it. "Th-Thank you for liking me. I'm really sorry."

Nagisa looked up with misty eyes. "It's Fuuko-san, isn't it?"

I nodded silently. What could I say?

I wanted to violently punch myself when her shoulders started to tremble. "C-C-C-Congratulations, O-O-Oka…"

"It's okay," I said softly. "You don't need to say anything like that." My heart broke for the third time that day. "Will you be all right?" Dumb question, but I couldn't think of anything else.

"Will…Will you please hold me?"

Without speaking, I slid around the table and reached out toward her. The minute I touched her, she broke out into sobs as she threw her arms around me.

What a crummy day.


	19. Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

**Chapter 19 – Two Steps forward, One Step Back**

The next morning, I woke to find Nagisa gently shaking me. "Okazaki-san, wake up."

"What? What time is it?" I managed to ask through the fog.

"It's 8:30! You'll be late for your studies if you don't hurry up!"

I muttered my token swear word and quickly got myself washed, dressed and headed to the door.

I was stopped on the way to the door by Nagisa, who was still in her pajamas. "I'm sorry, Okazaki-san; I'm not feeling well, so I couldn't make lunch for you."

I felt the hammer of guilt pound on me. "Don't worry about it. I'll manage. Just take care of yourself and rest, okay?"

She returned my nod. "Okay. You take care, too."

She padded off to her room as I left.

* * *

I found myself hesitating at the door to the library. I didn't know how Kotomi would be after the way yesterday turned out. At some point, I'd have to face it…well, her.

I took a deep breath and opened the door.

"Tomoya-kun…" Kotomi was sitting in her usual spot, on a cushion, with books around her.

"Sorry I'm late," I said as I stepped into the library. "I had trouble sleeping last night."

"I understand, Tomoya-kun. Yesterday was hard for both of us." Was that a look of compassion on her face?

I knew what I wanted to say, I just didn't know how to say it. "Uh, Kotomi-chan?"

"Yes?" She still gazed at me like I was the only thing in her world. An impressive girl.

"Look…if you don't want to…you know…be my teacher any more…"

Kotomi quickly got up from her cushion and hugged me, causing me to tense up. "Tomoya-kun, I love you. If you are happy with Fuuko-san, then I am happy for you." She let go of me and held me at arms' length. "I…am sorry for my outburst yesterday. I admit that I expected you to reciprocate my confession because of our friendship…"

"I'm sor-"

She put her fingertips to my mouth. "Please don't apologize, Tomoya-kun. I want you to be happy, even if you're not…with me." Her breath shuddered as she lowered her hand. "Can we…still be friends? I understand that it would not be easy at first, but I would rather have you in my life as a friend than to lose you completely."

I didn't know what to think; for being so childlike, Kotomi was surprisingly mature. She would certainly be a force to be reckoned with after high school, let alone after college!

"I'd like that," I finally answered with a heavy smile.

Her face lit up and she made her way back to her cushion, only to switch direction to the table; I guessed she caught herself mid-way. "Do you need more help with parabolas? Or shall we move on?"

I hated parabolas, and now I had more reason to hate them. "Let's…move on. I'll try to figure the rest out on my own."

Kotomi opened the English textbook. "I think you're ready for sentence structure and their terms." She looked up at me expectantly. "Are you ready, Tomoya-kun?"

I breathed a sigh of relief. I'm still 'Tomoya-kun' to her, so everything's going to be all right.

* * *

"And…there you go!" Yukine smiled as she placed a rice omelet in front of me along with a cup of coffee. It was more of a breakfast meal, but I wasn't going to complain about free food.

I looked down at my plate and felt a little guilty; the food seemed so artistic that I almost couldn't bring myself to eat it.

Almost. I was hungry, after all. "Itadakimasu!"

As I ate, I noticed that I was starting to pick up on the ingredients she used, and realized that I must have been because of my training under Kyou. Very useful.

Apparently I had an interesting look on my face, because Yukine asked, "Does it taste okay?"

"Oh! Yeah, sorry. I've been studying cooking with the Fujibayashi twins, and I just realized that I could discern some of the ingredients you used."

She giggled. "I don't know if that's a good thing or not, but I'm glad you like it."

I nodded vigorously. "Yeah, yeah, I'm amazed at how you can do so much with so little…or, at least it seems like so little." I pointed at the omelet with my chopsticks. "You and Kyou could open a restaurant with your skills."

She giggled again as she lowered her mug from her lips. "Oh, I don't think I'm that good. But I appreciate your praise." She raised her mug again, and I noticed that her eyes were still fixed on me. I quickly turned back to my meal.

"So," I started, trying to change the subject, "how are things going with the gang situation? Are they still at each others' throats?"

Her expression fell just slightly. "I'm afraid so. Before, they used to fight over territory, but now they fight over…" She looked very uncomfortable.

I couldn't figure out what she was trying to say, so I had to ask. "What are they fighting over now?"

"Me."

"You? How come?"

She sighed. "It used to be that the guys would see me as a little sister, but now…"

I figured that I knew where this was going. "Do they see you as a possible girlfriend now?"

Yukine nodded. "It's made things very awkward. I can't help one without another becoming jealous."

I leaned back in my chair. "Well, I guess I could see why. I mean, you're a great cook, you're kind, supportive…you're like that ultimate…what do they call it? 'Yamato Nadeshiko'?"

Yukine's eyes widened. "You really think so?"

I shrugged. "Isn't it obvious?"

Yukine bit her lip. "I was hoping you thought something like that."

Those damned red flags. "Why's that?" I asked cautiously.

Yukine looked down. "I care about all of the guys, but not in that way. Especially since…"

I am not prompting this one. I am not going to encourage it.

She raised her eyes enough to reach out and take one of my hands in both of hers. "Especially since I met you."

No, not again… "W-Why is that?"

"You have a strong character, Tomoya; I've seen it. I see it in the way you want to help others. I know you haven't fixed the gang problem yet, but I also know that it's because of your own situation."

"You call yourself a delinquent, but you really aren't; you're a good man who's been hurt in some way, and you've missed school because of that."

How did she have me pegged?

"But when you are here, you're encouraging, supportive, willing to stand up for what's right…"

I couldn't stop my hand from trembling. Nononononono-

She raised her head to meet my eyes. "…and that's what I've fallen in love with."

I couldn't say anything; my jaw was effectively locked shut.

"T-Tomoya: Will you be my boyfriend? It would help with part of the gang situation, yes, but that's not my real reason. Like I said, you have many good traits, and I love you because of them. Because of who you are."

"Miyazawa…" I ran my free hand over my face and pinched the bridge of my nose. "You're really…sweet, and I think you'll make a great wife to a very lucky guy, but…" How could I break yet another heart? "I'm sorry. I'm already with someone, but I'm…honored that you think of me this way. Thank you."

"I see." Her voice was barely above a whisper as she slowly released my hand. "I'm sorry, senpai. Now that I think about it, I should have realized it sooner. I'm so sorry for putting you in such an awkward position."

"Please don't feel bad; not for my sake, at least." I wanted to be comforting as much as I could. "I'm sorry that I can't return your feelings."

She nodded slightly, clearly distressed. "If it's okay, I'd like us to remain friends, but…I'll need a little time to sort out my feelings."

"I understand. I'll stay away from here until you tell me otherwise, okay?" I gave her a moment to process what I said, then: "Is there anything I can do for you?"

She raised sad eyes to me. "Could I…could I rest my head in your lap for a while?"

If that would help, then… "Sure."

I don't know how long she was in my lap, but she spent almost the whole time quietly crying while I gently caressed her hair. Why is this all happening at once?! What is so special about me?!

I was glad that Kotomi-chan and Nagisa and Yukine were so forgiving.

I just hoped that Tomoyo would also be as forgiving.

* * *

"I'll be fine," Tomoyo insisted, fists on her hips. "I said what I wanted to say, and…that's it."

I noticed that her voice wavered a little toward the end there, but I figured that it wouldn't help to point that out. "Thanks, Tomoyo-san."

She frowned at me. "You can still call me 'Tomoyo' if you want. We are still friends, right?"

Just like Kotomi, she caught me off guard. "Uh, yeah, sure. To be honest, I was worried about that myself. I was…" I hoped that I didn't sound patronizing; I knew Tomoyo hated that. "I was worried about you."

I definitely saw her sigh heavily. "Tomoya, being rejected is never easy. But we have a great friendship as a foundation, so I would like to think that it would survive this."

I nodded. "I get it. Thanks, Tomoyo. I really don't deserve a friend like you."

"I agree, but only because nobody really 'deserves' anybody anyway," she huffed. "Are we ready to move on? I'd really like to put this behind us."

"Sure thing," I replied.

I have some damn good friends.


	20. Disaster in the Kitchen

**Chapter 20 – Disaster in the Kitchen**

I hesitated before knocking on the door to the Fujibayashi residence. Did I really want to continue this? Kyou may have been a great cook, but her violent tendencies and attitude made her unpleasant to deal with at best.

Before I could decide whether to stay or leave, the door opened. "There you are! You're late!" Kyou stood there, scowl firmly in place. She reached out and grabbed me by the arm and nearly dragged me inside.

At least Ryou was in the kitchen to greet me. "Okazaki-kun, welcome!"

I supposed that the lessons could be considered only half-bad. "Hi, Fujibayashi. Good to see you."

Kyou's scowl deepened as Ryou blushed. "Hey! Where's my greeting?"

"Hi."

"Oh, I see. Ryou gets 'Good to see you' and I get the leftovers?"

"Let go of my arm and drop the scowl and I'll see what I can do," I retorted.

Kyou released my arm, making sure to give it a good pinch on the way, before pasting a completely fake smile on her face. "Is this better?"

"Passable." I bowed deeply. "Hello, Kyou. I look forward to learning more from you."

"Th-Thanks," Kyou sputtered, blushing. Well that was an interesting change of attitude. "G-Give me a couple of minutes and we'll get started."

"I thought I was late?"

"You are, but so is Onee-chan," Ryou said. "She kept looking out the kitchen window, and-"

"R-Ryou! He doesn't need to know all of that!" Kyou waved her hands in front of her sister. "Just…Both of you go get your aprons on! I'll be ready in a minute."

We entered the kitchen and Ryou gave me my apron before putting on her own.

"Hey Fujibayashi, is your sister okay? She seems…nervous?"

Ryou's blush returned, apparently in response to my question. "Uh…I think she's just nervous about teaching us well, that's all." She chuckled in what sounded like an awkward way.

"Why would she, though? I've been coming here three nights a week for, what, two weeks now? She should be used to this by now."

She noticeably looked away before answering. "I…I don't know, Okazaki-kun."

I felt like I wasn't getting the truth, but decided not to push the matter. "Well, whatever. Do you know what we're making today?"

Ryou shook her head, purple hair waving. "No. Onee-chan wanted to surprise us, I guess."

I looked at the ingredients on the counter. "It looks like we'll be making some kind of dessert this time." We didn't make desserts very often, so maybe Kyou was nervous about teaching us that.

Ryou also looked at them. "It does appear that way."

"In any case-"

"All right! The instructor is here, so let's get started!" Kyou entered the kitchen, apron in place as well as a big grin. "Tonight, we're making strawberry shortcake. The first thing we'll need to do is slice the strawberries, and…"

So the strawberries were sliced and mixed with white sugar. Kyou then had me turn on the oven to preheat it, while Ryou prepared a cake pan.

The problem arose when the batter was being mixed. Kyou had assigned that to her sister before leaving the room for something, but Ryou was having trouble with the mixing spoon.

"Okazaki-kun, I don't think my wrists are strong enough for this," Ryou complained.

I watched her try to stir for a bit. "I think it's your…technique? I mean, the way you hold and move the spoon. Here…" I moved around behind her and reached around to try to guide her hands through the motion.

I guess I was so caught up in the process that I didn't realize that I had basically wrapped my arms around her; one hand helping her hold the bowl, and the other guiding her hand holding the spoon with my head over the same shoulder. I realized it soon enough, though, when I suddenly felt intense heat coming from my cooking partner. I looked down at her at the same time she looked up at me, and our eyes met.

I've read somewhere that the eyes are the windows to the soul. If that's true, then Ryou's soul must have been bright and clear. A warm summer's day, with butterflies flying and birds singing, and I could see her and I running through a field, chasing each other and rolling with each other in the sun-warmed grass…

I felt a gentle pressure on my cheek and realized that she had put her hand on my face, leaving my hand to hold the bowl. Her eyes started to get bigger, and for a moment I thought they were widening in her usual shock before I realized that her face was getting closer to mine. I closed my eyes and got ready to run through those fields with her, and-

 _Starfish_

I nearly dropped the bowl as I quickly backed away from Ryou. It took me several seconds to remember to blink as I realized what had almost happened. "No…I did it again…"

"Okazaki…kun?" Ryou stood a short distance away, and I could tell that she was also breathing heavily, her hand on her chest. "Are you…okay?"

I shook my head to try to clear it. "Not yet. I'm, uh…pretty shaken up right now. Sorry."

I saw pain in her eyes. "Why…why did you stop?"

An ache ripped through my heart. Not again… "Because…It's not right for me to kiss a girl when I'm already seeing another."

The mixing spoon hit the floor and Ryou covered her mouth as her eyes filled with tears. "Y-You're in love with someone?"

I nodded mutely.

"Wh-who? M-May I know?"

I nodded again as I placed the bowl on the counter. "Ibuki Fuuko-san."

She blinked, letting the tears flow. "Fuuko-san? The girl in the hospital?"

"Yeah." I took a deep breath. "She's been appearing back at the school, and we…confessed to each other a while back."

Ryou's eyes widened, and she looked away. "I-I had no idea!" More tears flowed. "O-Okazaki-kun, I'm so sorry! I-I didn't mean-"

I quickly raised a hand to stop her. "Please…don't apologize. I haven't exactly broadcast my relationship. I just didn't expect…" I shook my head in disbelief.

"Okazaki-kun?"

I thumped my forehead against a nearby wall and enjoyed the different type of pain. "I didn't know that I was so well-liked. I mean, I'm a delinquent, for crying out loud! Who'd really want to be with a loser like me?!"

"I would."

I realized what I had been implying about Ryou. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

"And you're not a bad person! Your sleep schedule's messed up for some reason, but you care deeply about others! I can see it!" Ryou clasped her hands in front of herself. "I love that about you…" She surprised me by fixing me with her gaze. "I love you."

That oh-so-familiar ache… "I'm so sorry, Ryou. If I had known…"

She smiled sadly. "I understand, Okazaki-kun. Thank you for being kind in your rejection."

I crossed the space between us and hugged her. "I am so tired of hurting good people like you."

She returned my hug and, surprisingly, didn't start crying. "Fuuko-san is a lucky girl, and if I ever meet her, I'll tell her that!" She looked up at me. "I'll tell her that she'd better appreciate you, or I'll steal you away from her!"

I looked at her in disbelief until she started laughing, and I couldn't help but join her. "Steal me away, huh? I wonder how Fuuko would react to you telling her that?"

"Telling her what?"

Fujibayashi and I froze as we heard Kyou's voice before quickly moving away from each other.

It was too late, though; Kyou stood at the entrance to the kitchen, fists on hips and glower on face. "Tomoya, what are you doing to my sister?"

How could I condense the events of the last few minutes into one or two sentences? Because that's about the amount of time I'd have before Kyou would lay into me.

Fortunately, Fujibayashi came to my rescue. "He was comforting me, Onee-chan."

The glower grew fiercer. "Why? Did he hurt you? I swear Tomoya, if you hurt her-"

"Onee-chan! I tried to kiss him! It's my fault!"

Kyou's face quickly changed to pleased bewilderment. "Really? You did that?" She pumped her fist. "All right, Ryou! Wait, you tried?!"

Ryou nodded. "Okazaki-kun stopped us just in time, though."

"'Just in time'?"

Ryou looked at her sister with an expression I didn't recognize. "Okazaki-kun…has a girlfriend."

Kyou suddenly dropped to the floor, her eyes vacant. "What."

"He wouldn't kiss me because he's faithful to his girlfriend!"

"Girlfriend? Girlfriend…" I felt kind of sorry for Kyou, sitting there on the floor, in some sort of daze. "I…I didn't know."

Ryou looked to me. She seemed fine, though it could have been because she was focused on keeping her sister from trying to kill me. "Is it okay if I tell her?" I nodded.

She turned back to Kyou. "His girlfriend's name is Ibuki Fuuko-san."

Kyou looked up at her sister. "The one in the hospital?"

"That's the one," Ryou agreed, nodding. "But she used to appear at the school giving out…starfish, right?" she asked, to which I again nodded. "She started appearing at the school again, and they got together then."

I watched Kyou's face during the conversation. Her expression had started as mute shock, then the bewilderment, but now it looked like it was headed toward…oh boy.

"You BASTARD!" Kyou shouted, quickly getting to her feet. "How could you do this to my sister?!" She quickly marched over and tried to hit me several times. Fortunately, Tomoyo's training came into play, and Kyou couldn't land a hit on me. I noticed that her blows didn't have their usual force, so I intentionally dropped my guard and let her weakly pummel my chest as she called me every dirty name known to man.

"Kyou," I tried to protest. "I know you're protective of your sister, but isn't this a bit much?"

"You don't get it, do you, dumbass! How could…HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO US?!"

I heard Ryou gasp, which caused me to replay Kyou's last statement. Wait, 'us'?

"… _Heck, Ryou and I have been wanting to get close to you since last year…"_

"Kyou? I'm sor-"

"GET OUT!" she screamed. "GET OUT OF MY HOUSE! ASSHOLE!"

I could not believe the Kyou that I was seeing. I looked to her sister, who nodded without a word, so I quickly headed to the door and left.

Once outside, my knees buckled when I heard Kyou's distinctive voice, sobbing.

I can't take this anymore. Too painful…


	21. Emptiness

**Chapter Twenty-One: Emptiness**

I staggered into Furukawa Bakery, with the weight of several rejected confessions on my heart. My stomach was in knots as well.

Sanae was there to greet me. "Okazaki-san? Are you okay?"

"I feel terrible," I replied. I really did feel terrible. "Please excuse me; I need to go to bed."

"All right. Let me know if you need anything."

I thanked her as I trudged to my room and fell onto the futon, still in my day clothes.

I tried to sleep, but every time I closed my eyes I saw the girls' heartbroken expressions.

" _Tomoya…kun…do you…like…Fuuko?"_

I hurt her

" _I've really enjoyed our times together…"_

I hurt her too

"… _you're encouraging, supportive, willing to stand up for what's right…"_

And her

" _Why…why did you stop?"_

" _Girlfriend? Girlfriend…"_

" _The real reason I made this was to…was to…"_

i hurt them all…

"… _I'm sorry for putting you in that position…"_

i'm sorry

" _How could you do this to us?"_

" _I love that about you…I love you."_

" _Tomoya-kun: Will you be my boyfriend?"_

i'm sorry i'm sorry i'm sorry

"… _Tomoya-kun…it hurts…"_

i'm so sorry

" _IlikeyouOkazakisanPleasebewithme!"_

i'm a bad person

"Okazaki-san?"

…

"Okazaki-san?!"

…

"OKAZAKI-SAN!"

…

"MOM! DAD! SOMETHING'S WRONG WITH OKAZAKI-SAN!"

* * *

"How long has he been like this?"

*sobbing* "I don't know, I found him like this this morning!"

"That's…SIX HOURS?!"

"Okazaki-kun…"

"What's he looking at?"

"I don't think he's looking at anything! Creepy!"

"Well, he just blinked, so that's something good."

"He's breathing, too."

"Has he eaten anything?"

"How would he eat like this, genius?"

"I brought my things, so I can make something for him if it would help."

"Thank you, Miyazawa-san! Let me help you with that."

"Tch. Serves him right, treating all of you like that."

"Dad! Okazaki's a nice guy! He's probably hurting from having to turn us down! Am I right, Kotomi-chan?"

"I would agree. He cares for all of us, so to hurt any of us, let alone all of us, would be unconscionable to him."

"Anyway! Is there some way to snap him out of it?"

"Okazaki-kun…please wake up…"

"Maybe a kiss? Like the princess in that one story?"

"He's not asleep, and keep your wishful thinking to yourself, 'childhood friend'!"

"What about Fuuko-san?"

"Huh?"

"He's in love with Fuuko-san, right?"

"Of course! Good thinking, Miyazawa-san!"

"But she's still in the hospital, isn't she?"

"The school."

"Tomoyo-san?"

"He's said that she appears at the school somehow. I'll carry him to the school then."

"Of course! Fu-chan can help him."

"Nagisa? You call her 'Fu-chan'?"

"I…guess so. When did I start calling her that?"

"Now that you mention it, that name…makes me sad for some reason."

"You, too?"

"Onee-chan?"

"Enough about the sad names, okay?! Let's get going!"


	22. Recovery

**Chapter 22 – Recovery**

"Tomoya-kun?"

…

"Tomoya-kun?"

that voice…

"Tomoya-kun?"

I recognize that voice.

"Tomoya-kun?

I opened my eyes to… "Fuuko?"

Fuuko was looking down at me with a worried look. Was my head in her lap? "When they brought Tomoya-kun here, Tomoya-kun's eyes were open, but wouldn't say anything."

Seeing her face brought me relief, and I sat up – had I been lying down? – and wrapped her in a hug. "Fuuko…Fuuko…"

She returned my hug. "Fuuko hears that you've been having a rough time."

I froze as the memories returned. Kotomi-chan, Yukine, Nagisa…then it really did happen.

"Tomoya…" Fuuko's voiced sounded strained. "You're squeezing me too tight."

I lowered myself back to her lap. "Sorry. It has been rough. I think I snapped or something."

"Don't worry, Tomoya-kun; if you lose your marbles, Fuuko will find them. Fuuko's your girlfriend after all."

I smiled for the first time in I-don't-know-how-long. "Yeah you are, and I'm glad for that." I enjoyed feeling her warmth before realizing… "I'm at the school. Fuuko?"

"Yes?"

"How did I get to the school? I don't remember-"

"How is he?" Fuuko looked toward the door, and I thought I recognized the voice as being Nagisa's. "Is he…conscious?"

"Tomoya-kun's awake, but a little…confused," Fuuko replied.

"May I come in?" Nagisa sounded nervous.

Fuuko looked at my face for a moment before looking back. "Not yet, Nagisa-san. Tomoya-kun just woke up, and doesn't know what's going on yet."

"Okay. I'll check back in a few minutes."

I heard her leave, but Fuuko continued to look toward the door. "Nagisa-san told Fuuko that all of those girls confessed to you."

My face suddenly felt hot. "Y-Yes, they did, but…" I trailed off as Fuuko looked down at me.

I think it was the first time I had ever seen tears in Fuuko's eyes. "You…You…" her breath shuddered. "You turned them all down for…just for Fuuko?"

I smiled, and I could feel my own eyes starting to water. "Yeah, I did." I reached up and put my hand on her cheek. "After all, you're my girlfriend, right? You're the one I fell in love with."

Her lip started to quiver, so I quickly sat up and held her. She was the one crying girl I could handle right now.

"Tomoya-kun…Tomoya-kuuuun…" She repeated my name over and over, whenever her sobs would allow it, as I held her tightly…but not too tightly this time.

* * *

Eventually, Fuuko and I settled down enough that the others could come in. We took seats in desks next to each other, while the others sat at what I assumed was a respectful distance, and Yukine made her way over to a counter where I could see her cooking supplies.

I knew they were all good people, but I was still surprised to see concern…compassion, maybe?...in their eyes.

"Tomoya-kun," Kotomi started, "are you all right?"

I ran a hand through my hair, partly to calm myself, partly to deal with some bed-head. "Not yet. I still feel a little out of sorts, but I think I'll be all right." I smiled sheepishly. "Sorry for making you worry."

Kotomi's soft smile was reassuring. "Please don't apologize. Between trying to take care of Fuuko-san, your own studies, and…other…things, it's understandable that something like this would happen."

"Right, Okazaki-san," Nagisa chimed in. "You've been under a lot of stress, so to have…that…happen, it would make sense."

A wagging finger drew my attention. "Of course, if you'd been eating right," Tomoyo scolded, "you would have been stronger and more able to take this."

"Tomoyo-san!" Ryou scolded in turn. Wait, _Ryou_? "Okazaki-kun's just come back. Do you want to make him sick again?"

Tomoyo lowered her hand and her head. "Sorry."

Yukine brought a plate over to me. "I figured that you're not going to be able to eat much yet, so I kept it safe."

I took the plate from her and smiled as I regarded the rice omelet, lightly seasoned. "Thanks, Miyazawa-san."

"You're welcome." She turned to Fuuko with her usual gentle smile. "I'll be back with yours in just a moment."

"Oh, ah…thank you." I t was understandable that Fuuko wouldn't be expecting food in a classroom or at this time.

Yukine giggled in reply before heading back to her workstation. The others moved to closer desks, but I noticed that Kyou kept her distance, though Ryou still sat near her.

Tomoyo plopped herself down in a desk across from Fuuko's and leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees and her chin on her hands. She looked right into Fuuko's face, which caused Fuuko to lean away slightly. "This Fuuko's cute too, Tomoya."

Fuuko blushed under Tomoyo's intense gaze. "Th-Thank you."

Tomoyo then straightened and crossed her arms. "I think I can see why Tomoya would choose you over me; you're a good fit for him."

"Wait a minute; what's that supposed to mean?" I was sure that I could hear an insult in there somewhere.

Tomoyo waved a hand at my girlfriend. "She's short, she's cute, and she's feisty."

Fuuko pouted. "Fuuko's not feisty…What's so funny, Nagisa-san?"

Nagisa giggled again. "Actually Fu-chan, you are feisty. I couldn't think of the word to describe you until Tomoyo-san said it just now." She gave herself a moment to think. "You have…spirit? And…Passion? Honesty? And…What's the word…?"

"Candor?" offered Kotomi.

"Yes, that's it," Nagisa agreed as she accepted her plate from Yukine. "You're not afraid to give your honest opinion, even if it hurts the other person's feelings."

Tomoyo curled an errant lock of hair over an ear. "Exactly. All she needs is a little tact, and BAM! She's perfect for Tomoya!" She still looked a little put-off by her own statement, though.

"I would have been too afraid of hurting his feelings," Ryou said. "I can see that it would have made growth as a couple difficult."

"I would have been too dependent on him-" Nagisa started.

"Wait!" I had to stop this. "I appreciate all of this…self-disclosure… but you understand that you're starting to insult my friends, here."

Nagisa and Ryou looked at each other. "I guess we are, aren't we?" Nagisa said, as the two shared a giggle.

I watched as the girls, Fu-chan included, talked among themselves.

It hit me: Why could the girls see Fuuko? From what I understood, everyone not only forgot her, but could not even see her. So what changed?

I waved Nagisa over; she knew Fu-chan almost as well as I did, so… "Hey, Nagisa…"

"Yes?"

"You can see Fuuko, right?"

She gave me a funny look. "Of course! She's right there, after all." She pointed over to where Fuuko was talking rather excitedly with Kyou. "Why wouldn't I see her?"

I thought about her answer for a moment before asking: "Do you remember her from before? The girl handing out starfish?"

Nagisa tilted her head as her eyes narrowed. "You know, that's interesting; right before we brought you here, I called her 'Fu-chan' without realizing it. I didn't notice it until Kyou-san pointed it out. Funny…"

"But do you remember her?"

She sighed as she brushed a lock of hair from in front of her eyes. "Yes and no. I feel like I should be remembering her, but…" She shrugged as she smiled awkwardly. "Sorry."

"That's okay," I tried to reassure her. "Maybe something'll come to you eventually."

"I'd like that," she said, as she watched Fuuko, now listening to Kotomi talk happily about something. "In fact, I think I'd like it if everyone would remember."

So would I, Nagisa. So would I.

* * *

"Hey, Tomoya."

I looked up from my textbook. Since the girls had all been talking and I felt like a fifth wheel, I had grabbed a textbook at random and started reading. "Hey, Kyou. What's up?"

Kyou looked around, and I noticed that she and Ryou were the only ones left. Fu-chan had gone back to working on her blanket.

Then she leaned toward me, her purple hair curtaining her face. "Can we talk? In private?"

So she had something for my ears only, huh? Just one problem: "If you have something to say to just me, that's fine. But I want Fuuko in the same room. I don't want to give her a reason to worry." Kyou gave me a fierce look and I gave it right back. "That's my only condition, Kyou; take it or leave it."

Kyou scoffed. "Fine. The Little Missus can stick around." She turned to her sister. "Ryou? Could you wait outside? I'll be out in a minute."

Ryou nodded with a smile and headed for the door.

After Ryou left and I explained the situation to Fu-chan, I went to the opposite corner of the room where Kyou was waiting. "What's up?"

"Look Tomoya, I…" Kyou pursed her lips in thought. "I'm sorry for blowing up at you the other day. I was…just so surprised."

I nodded sympathetically. "Yeah, I kinda got that impression."

She chuckled lightly before repeatedly running her fingers though the length of her hair. I imagined that she was doing that to comfort herself in some way. "The thing is…well, I'm sure you figured it out already, but I…like you." She blew air noisily between her lips. "So when I found out that you were already with somebody…I flipped. I mean, after all, I had spent so much time and energy trying to get you with my sister…" she was blushing at this point, "…in spite of my own feelings for you…and then to find that out…"

"It all blew up with my admission?"

"Yeah," she answered quietly.

"Kyou?" I licked my lips out of nervousness; I wasn't sure that this was the best time for this question, but… "Kyou…what is so special about me? I'm a delinquent! I have a 'bad mouth'! But…I mean, I was confessed to six or seven times in two days. I'm nobody special! I guess Kotomi could have a reason since we're childhood friends, but…" I threw up my arms in frustration. "Why me?"

Guilt overwhelmed me when Kyou bit her lip and her eyes became moist. "Do…Do I really have to answer that?"

I ran my fingers through my hair, scratching when they reached the top of my head. "No, no you don't, it's just…" I didn't know what more to say.

I felt hands gently grip my shoulders, and I thought I saw Fuuko look our way out of the corner of my eye.

"Tomoya, you're a delinquent by the school's standards, but that doesn't make you a bad person." Kyou had an intense look in her eyes. "You care deeply about other people, which tells me, and apparently several other girls, that you have a good heart. The fact that you went 'vegetable' over rejecting all of us, tells all of us how much we mean to you." Kyou paused and bit her lip again before continuing. "At first – last year, that is – Ryou and I just thought you were a cute guy…but as we got to know you…I'm sorry, I need to stop," Kyou finished as she released my shoulders.

I felt bad for her doing that, but I was still grateful. "Are…Are you okay?"

She shook her head with a hand shielding her eyes. "No. No, but I will be."

"Thanks for answering," I said quietly. "It means a lot to me."

She nodded this time. "Just…please don't bring this kind of thing up again. Ever."

"I won't," I replied softly. "I promise."

"And Tomoya?" She looked up at me with reddened eyes. "Take good care of Fuuko, okay?"

I smiled gently at my friend. "I will."


	23. The Pendulum Swings

**Chapter 23: The Pendulum Swings**

"Why do you refer to yourself as "Fuuko" instead of saying 'I' or 'me'? You know, pronouns?"

I held Fu-chan from behind, with my arms around her waist and my hands on her stomach as she leaned back against me while working on her blanket. It was hard to do while sitting in desk chairs, but we managed it. The other girls had long since cleared out, leaving just the two of us in the warmth of the afternoon sun. A nice break from the stress of late.

Fuuko paused her sewing and sighed. The party hat on her head somewhat offset the seriousness of her expression.

After about a minute, she decided: "Fuuko doesn't know."

I mulled over her answer for a minute. "Hey, Fuuko?"

"Fu-chan," she corrected with a blush.

"Huh?" Up to this point I inwardly thought of her as 'Fu-chan', but had been calling her 'Fuuko' out of respect for her space. "All right, then; Fu-chan?"

"Never mind; Fuuko," she corrected again, her face even redder.

I chuckled softly. "Could I get off of this merry-go-round? I have a question for you, whatever you want to be called."

"Okay."

"They might sound stupid, but please treat them seriously, okay?"

"Okay."

"Do you consider yourself to be Fuuko?"

She paused in her sewing. "Yes."

"What about the girl lying in the hospital bed? Is she Fuuko, too?"

Fuuko's hands stopped working, and she seemed to be thinking hard. "Yes."

I wanted to carefully phrase my idea. Fuuko went back to work as I retreated into thought again.

"Fuuko? I think you refer to yourself by first name because your body is far away and you're…acknowledging the distance."

"Huh?"

"So, maybe when you recover, you'll start referring to yourself as 'I'. I mean, you're the same age as I am, and your sister never mentioned any problems with your learning ability, so you must have been able to use pronouns before the accident, right?"

"Done!" she cried out, standing and holding up her finished product to show me. She had created a blanket large enough for a large bed. Starfish filled the visible side of it, so many that the background color could barely be seen.

I nodded approvingly, putting the rest of my thoughts aside. "Looks good. And warm. You'll sleep well from now on, won't you?" I gave an impish grin. "Just don't look at the top of the blanket; I'd hate for you to be stuck in Eternal Bliss Mode."

She giggled; a rare treat. "Don't worry; Fuuko knows better now." Having been given a starfish while facing a clock, she finally accepted her tendency to 'space out' when admiring starfish. I was relieved; I'd hate for something bad to happen to her during one of her episodes, and I had even told her as much.

"But," she continued, "this isn't for Fuuko." She rose and walked over to me, folding the blanket and placing it on my lap. "It's for Tomoya-kun."

"Th-thank you." Truth be told, I still wasn't into starfish. But, she went to all the trouble to give me something that she had worked hard on and meant a lot to her so… "I'll take good care of it."

She smiled awkwardly while shifting her weight from foot to foot. "C-Can Fuuko have a reward for the hard w-work?"

I smiled broadly. "Sure."

I reached over and patted her head. She smiled blissfully, then abruptly stepped back, shaking her head. "F-Fuuko likes that, but was hoping for…for…"

I stared at her somewhat blankly. "For what?"

She glanced at me several times from under her eyelashes before stepping forward again, almost cautiously, avoiding my hand as I tried to pat her head again. "No."

I watched her silently as she moved even closer and leaned forward. Without warning, she darted her head toward mine. I reflexively closed my eyes and, at that moment, felt a soft pressure against my lips. My eyes flew open and, sure enough, she was _kissing me_!

I pulled my head back in surprise, but she followed, and I felt her hands on my shoulders and her lips still pressed to mine. Before I realized it, she was sitting in my lap and I was returning her expression of affection, my eyes closing and hands holding her waist.

The kiss ended with a gasp; Fuuko suddenly pulled away. I opened my eyes to see her sitting on the floor with an expression of surprise.

"Why are you so surprised?" I asked, still feeling a bit disoriented. "You're the one who – Fuuko, what's wrong?!"

Her eyes were open, but unfocused. She rose unsteadily to her feet and backed away as she started breathing heavily with her hands against her chest.

I bolted from my chair. "Fuuko? Fuuko!" I reached out and took hold of her shoulders. "Fuuko! What is it?!"

Her panicked eyes focused on my face. "FUUKO'S-!"

She vanished.

My knees buckled, sending me to the floor. What had happened to her? She looked so afraid of something. I ran to the doorway and looked around quickly to see if anyone might have seen us kissing; that could have scared her off.

But the hallway was empty, as expected. School was out for the day, after all.

I stumbled back to the desk and fell into the seat. What could have scared her like that?

To my surprise, a voice sounded from the PA system; it never occurred to me that anyone would be at the school today. " _Okazaki Tomoya-san, please report to the main office for a phone call. I repeat: Okazaki Tomoya-san, please report to the main office for a phone call. Thank you."_

A chill ran down my spine; the call had to be more than just a coincidence. I grabbed the blanket and ran to the office.

* * *

"Okazaki-san?" a secretary asked while holding a receiver and a disapproving look; the school was technically closed, after all.

"Yes, ma'am." I gave an apologetic look to the secretary and took the receiver. "Hello? This is Okazaki."

" _Tomoya-san?"_ came the agitated voice form the other end. The owner sounded out of breath.

"Kouko-san?"

" _Yes, it's me. Can…Can you come to the hospital?"_

"What's going on?"

" _It's Fu-chan…"_

My stomach slithered to my shoes. "What about her? Is she okay?!"

A long pause. I could hear a choked sob. My heart sank.

"Kouko-san?!"

" _She…She's asking for you."_

* * *

I burst through the door to Room 225. "Fuuko?!"

"Tomoya-san!" I looked over to see Kouko-san rising from a nearby chair. "You're here!"

"Tomoya…" croaked a familiar voice from the bed. The mass of medical staff surrounding the bed was hard to miss.

I ran to the bed, pushed a doctor out of the way, and took her hand. "Fuuko…" I couldn't believe it! Her eyes were open! "You're back…."

She smiled weakly. "Hi, weird guy. I'm sorry if I worried you. I was surprised, myself."

"Are you okay? I mean, are you going to be okay? I mean-"

I felt a hand on my shoulder. "Excuse me…Okazaki-san, yes?" It was one of the doctors.

"That's me," I replied. Why was everything going so slowly? "Is she okay? Is she going to live?"

He chuckled kindly. "She's fine, and she will be fine, as far as we can tell." He looked over to her, and I reached out with the hand not already holding hers and started caressing her hair as she smiled weakly at me. "We still need to do some tests, and she'll need physical therapy, of course, since she's been immobile for so long, but otherwise…" He trailed off with a soft smile.

Fuuko was whole again. Fuuko was whole again! I brought her hand to my lips and kissed it over and over again. At some point, someone handed me a tissue, and I dabbed at the stream that flowed from my eyes. I looked to Fuuko to see a nurse dabbing at her face with another tissue. I quickly stopped her, took the tissue, and started wiping away Fuuko's tears myself, ignoring my own.

I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned to see Yuukino-san. He looked directly into my eyes, serious expression as always, and nodded solemnly, masculine approval evident.

I smiled and nodded before turning back to Fuuko, pressing her hand against my cheek. "Welcome back, Fu-chan."


	24. Rehabilitation

**Chapter 24 - Rehabilitation**

I could see sweat beading on her forehead as she gripped the rails. To build her leg strength as part of her physical therapy, Fuuko had to hold onto a set of handrails and walk between them. She'd been doing this for a couple of days now, and I could tell the sessions were exhausting.

"You got this, Fu-chan," Yuusuke encouraged her. "Just take it one step at a time."

She glared over at her brother-in-law, and I smiled in sympathy. It was probably hard enough just doing the exercises, but to have someone trying to be positive without knowing what it was like…I chuckled to myself.

Her glare suddenly shifted to me, and I raised my hands defensively. "Sorry, Fu-chan; I'm trying to sympathize. It looks like you're frustrated, even though you're doing your best."

Her expression softened, and I thought I could see a small smile on her reddened face. "Thank you, Tomoya-kun." She looked to the opposite end of the rails. "Could you stand down there?"

I figured I knew why, so I stood at the end of the rails and readied myself to catch her if necessary.

She locked her gaze to mine and staggered her way along the rails, trying to put as much weight on her legs as she could take, inch by inch, foot by foot…never taking her eyes off of me.

I felt eerily as though I was her reward for making it to the other end.

As she made it to the end of the rails, breathing heavily and sweating, she moved her grip from the rails to the front of my shirt to my shoulders and pulled me down enough to press her lips to mine. Needless to say, she surprised me.

I could faintly hear what I thought was a gasp from Kouko and laughter from Yuusuke. She released me, and I had to catch her before she crumpled to the floor. As hot and sweaty as she was, Fu-chan had one of the nicest smells I had ever smelled. In hindsight, it was probably just because it was Fu-chan.

* * *

Kouko, Yuusuke and I sat with Fuuko after her therapy session. I could tell that something was bothering Kouko, but I wasn't sure what. I figured that it wasn't any of my business, so I wouldn't ask.

Kouko indirectly answered my unasked question. "Fu-chan?" Her voice sounded hesitant.

"Yes?"

Kouko fumbled her hands in her lap before chuckling nervously. "I've had two years to prepare for this, and I'm still not ready," she said, and her husband placed a hand on her shoulder, probably to reassure her.

"Go on," he prompted.

Kouko looked to her husband before looking to Fuuko with wet eyes. "Fu-chan…I'm really sorry for the way I treated you. I didn't want to act so coldly toward you-"

"But you wanted me to learn to stand on my own two feet and get to know people on my own," Fuuko finished.

Kouko sputtered a chuckle. "That's right." She took a deep breath. "Before the accident, you would hide behind me all the time, literally and figuratively, and I knew it wouldn't be good for you in the long run."

"I understand," Fuuko said with a small smile. "I managed to make some friends anyway." She looked over at me.

Kouko followed her sister's eyes to me and laughed. "Yes, I suppose you've done well for yourself, haven't you?"

"You've made more friends than just him, haven't you?" Yuusuke asked.

Kouko lightly whapped him on the hand. "Yuusuke! That's rude! Tomoya-san is a fine young man!" Yuusuke simply smiled at the mild abuse.

Fuuko giggled. "I've made many friends, most of them twice."

This drew puzzled looks from her sister and brother-in-law, so I explained, starting backwards from their wedding, Fuuko's time at the school, how she carved the starfish and gave them as invitations to the wedding. I told them pretty much everything, regardless of how ridiculous it sounded.

Yuusuke scratched his chin. "That does explain a lot." He looked over at his wife. "It seemed like everything went too smoothly, especially for a wedding."

Kouko nodded, her brow furrowed. "Yes, I could see that." She looked to her sister. "Fu-chan, thank you for everything you've done for us."

Fuuko smiled, and I quickly dabbed tears from her eyes. "I wanted you both to be happy together, and I didn't want you to wait on my account."

Kouko rose from her chair and hugged her sister the best she could.

No more words were really needed.

* * *

Fuuko grimaced in pain as I gently but firmly lifted her leg while keeping the knee reasonably straight. She'd lost quite a bit of flexibility in two years and, to help her get it back, I trained under the physical therapist so I could help with Fu-chan's therapy.

"Owww…" she protested.

"Just breathe," I said softly as her leg reached its limit. "Remember what your doctor taught you."

She nodded with a grunt, her eyes squinted shut.

After doing one leg, I switched to the other, and the torture continued.

I tried to distract her with conversation. "What do you want to do after you get out?"

*puff* "Go to school…"

"Anything else?"

"G-Go on dates with you." *puff*

My chest swelled and my face felt hot. "Anything else?" I prompted.

"Have a *puff* baby."

I almost lost my hold on her leg. "S-Sorry?"

"A Baby. I want a baby."

"You want to be a mom?" I was glad Kouko wasn't around to hear this; I couldn't imagine how she'd react. Yuusuke would give me a dirty look, I'm sure. Several, in fact.

She nodded with another grunt.

"You're awfully young to be thinking about that, aren't you?" Not to mention that it would be with me, assuming our relationship worked out.

"I've been in a coma for two years," she quipped. "I've had plenty of time."

"Even with carving all those starfish?" Then it hit me: "Oh, so that's when you thought about it?"

"Yeah," she answered with a strained voice. "I see myself as a stay-at-home-mom type."

"I don't know; you seem to be too energetic for that kind of life."

She didn't reply until I lowered her leg to its resting position. "Are you kidding? I could see myself chasing my five-year-old daughter around."

I had an odd sensation, similar to déjà vu. "Well, if you say so." I started to lift her leg again. "I hope you get what you want."

"Yeah, me too." She gave me an impish, if pained, smile. "So you better get crackin' and get a really good job! You're going to have a wife and kids to support!"

"Yes, ma'am!" I answered with humor. "Waitaminute, kids?"

Fuuko's laugh danced around the therapy room.


	25. A Step Forward

**Chapter Twenty-Five: A Step Forward**

"Thank you for making time to see me, sir," I said as I settled in.

"Hmm…" mused Komura-sensei. "When you called me about this, I didn't believe you were serious, I'll admit."

"Well sir, some…things…have happened over summer break to cause me to think about stuff." I had to admit; I was nervous. Regardless of the reason, I had a reputation, and contacting Komura-sensei was the first step in a very different direction.

"Hmm…" The old teacher stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Ichinose-san tells me that you have been studying under her, and quite diligently."

"Yes, sir."

"And the student body president tells me that you've been learning from her how to defend yourself."

Thanks, Tomoyo; I owe you one. "Yes, sir."

"Hmm…You seem to be more concerned about your future than before. May I ask why?"

He caught me flat-footed with that question. How would I tell him that it's because of Fu-chan? "Well, sir…that is…um…"

"Hmm…" Komura-sensei was the only person I knew who could interrupt a person with a 'hmm'. "Were I to hazard a guess, I would say 'a girl'."

My jaw dropped and he smiled enigmatically. "S-Sir! How…?" I stammered.

"Please do not be embarrassed, Tomoya-san. You are not the first to be motivated by Woman, and you likely won't be the last." He shifted his posture. "I must say, she would have to be a remarkable girl to warrant this much effort from you."

"You have no idea, sir," I replied somewhat absently.

"Hmm. I suspect that I do have some idea, but no matter." He stared at me for several seconds, and I became concerned that he had fallen asleep or, even worse, died.

"Sensei?"

He sighed heavily. "I will talk to the other teachers; we may be able to arrange something to help you bring up your grades. You may be late, but I believe that your efforts should be rewarded with a chance."

I couldn't believe it. Could I really earn that better future?

"I do have one question, Tomoya-san."

I shook myself out of my reverie. "Y-Yes?"

He fixed me with his gaze. "Why have you been truant as much as you have? I have tried to stay out of your business while supporting you, but this has concerned me from the beginning. I perceive you as an intelligent and even philosophical young man, so this vexes me."

I smiled. If I could be half as good a man as Sensei… "Well sir, the short story is: My mom died when I was really young, and my dad tried to raise me. Unfortunately we got in to a lot of fights as I got older. Right when I was about to start school here, we got in a big one that ended up injuring my shoulder," I said as I gently touched my right shoulder. "That ended any chance of me playing basketball, which I was good at. After that, he pretty much kept his distance from me, even calling me 'Tomoya-kun', like I was a friend of his or something. I didn't want to even be around him, so I tried to stay away from home when he was there. Because of his work schedule, that meant I would be coming in really late at night – sometimes the morning – and that really messed up my sleep schedule."

The old teacher lifted a hand to stop me. "That's enough; I think I get the idea." He paused for a moment. "How are the two of you doing now?"

"I'm not sure. I mean, we got along okay at my girlfriend's birthday party, but…" I shrugged my shoulders. "We haven't talked much otherwise. I've been pretty busy, lately."

"Hmm." Komura-sensei appeared to mull this over. "How have your circumstances changed such that you can maintain such a busy schedule?"

"Oh, I've been staying at Nagisa-san's house," I replied. "You've heard of Furukawa Bakery, sir?"

He nodded sagely. "I have. Akio-san and Sanae-san are good people, though I can't always say the same about their bread."

I snorted before I could stop myself. "Sanae-san likes to experiment, sir. Akio-san's is fine, but you have to watch out for hers." I described my first experience with Sanae's bread, which evoked a smile from the old man's face.

"Hmm. It looks like I was right to try to give you this chance." Komura-sensei stood up, and I followed suit. "Young Tomoya-san, I will do everything I can to give you the chance to prove yourself. All I ask in return is that you do your best; no slacking off."

"Yes sir," I replied. "I promise. I have a future family counting on me, after all."

My old mentor raised an eyebrow, then smiled kindly. "Hmm."

* * *

"…so that's what's happening," I explained to the Yoshinos and Fuuko. "Komura-sensei will let me know how things turn out and, if they turn out well, he'll have one or more dates for me to test."

Kouko clapped and shook her fists in celebration, while Yuusuke simply nodded but smiled broadly. The warmth from that felt good.

I felt a touch on my shoulder, and turned to find myself wrapped in a hug from Fu-chan. "Good for you, Tomoya-kun." She pulled away and looked into my eyes. "I believe you can do this. I believe in you."

At that moment I felt like I could pull a whole freight train's worth of cars with just my teeth. "Th-Thanks, Fu-chan." A thought hit me. "I guess if we believe in each other, there's nothing we can't do, huh?"

I heard a cough from the Yoshinos. "Don't go overboard, kid. There's – OOF!"

"Yuusuke, please don't rain on their parade," Kouko admonished.

Yuusuke coughed a couple more times. "Yeah, well…do your best, you two."

Fuuko and I looked at each other and smiled. She would be out of the hospital in no time, I was sure. She would go to school, and by the time she graduated…

I would be ready for her.


	26. Testing

**Chapter 26 – Testing**

Summer vacation ended sooner than expected – typical from the perspective of a student, I supposed – and with it came the first Saturday of the term: My first testing day.

"These tests will be broken up in to sections, appropriately," Koumura-sensei explained as he handed me a small packet of paper. "I caution you: they will not be as easy as you would expect from a regular test. If you intend to successfully challenge each class, you will be expected to show mastery of all of the covered subjects."

"So it'll be like taking a full year's worth of tests all at once?"

"Hmm. Close enough, I suppose," the old teacher replied.

My anxiety must have clearly shown on my face, because he chuckled. "Do not worry, young Tomoya-san; Kotomi speaks highly of your dedication. You are not expected to earn an 'A' in each subject. Do your best and I believe that you will do just fine."

I took a deep breath. "Thank you, sir."

He leveled his gaze at me. "Are you ready, son?"

I nodded. "Let's go!"

* * *

As expected, the tests were hard. The early tests, logically enough, reflected our first year of study. I noticed that the answers to math came somewhat easily, which worried me a bit. Were they easy because I understood the material, or was it because I was making a truckload of mistakes?

I allowed that thought to flash through my mind before I realized that dwelling on it would not help me at all; in fact, it could keep me from focusing on the problems before me.

I still hated parabolas, though.

I finished the math test and raised my hand to let Koumura-sensei know that I was done, and he came over and collected my packet and clapped me on the shoulder; my left one, fortunately. "Well done, Tomoya-san. Take a fifteen-minute break and we'll start the next one."

I nodded in understanding before glancing at the clock. It had taken me about ninety minutes to go through two hundred problems. I didn't know if that was a good pace or not, so I simply made a mental note of it for later.

After a visit to the bathroom, I stopped by a vending machine to pick up a tea before heading back to the classroom. My plan was to eat after the next test, but with the understanding that I could change my plan based on my performance; that is, how long it took to complete my next test.

As I settled back in my seat, I came to a decision: Whatever job or career I ended up in, I would treat Koumura-sensei to a meal in gratitude for giving me this chance to turn my life around. What does he like to eat?

"Ah. You're back." He shuffled back into the classroom with another packet.

"Yes, sir." I may have been going overboard with the respect, but I owed him at least that much. "What does the next test cover?"

"Hmm?" He dropped the packet on the table, and I felt the puff of air from underneath it. "Ah. English." Apparently he could see my nervousness, because he regarded me for a moment. "I know that English was never a strong subject for you. I can only tell you to do your best. I believe that you can do it." He gently laid a hand on my shoulder, and I felt noticeably calmer.

I took a deep breath, smiled at the teacher, and started on the English test.

* * *

I raised my hand to get Koumura-sensei's attention, and when he started my way, I slumped back in my chair with a 'whouff!' I had managed to finish all of the first-year-class tests in one Saturday afternoon, but I was exhausted for it.

The wizened teacher smiled kindly as he approached my desk. "Well done, Tomoya-san."

I looked up at him and flashed him a tired 'victory' sign. "When will I know how I did?"

"Hmm." He seemed to give my question some thought. "I won't be grading the tests until after you have completed all of them."

"Really? Why then?"

"Because I am an old man."

He didn't say anything more, so I just accepted his answer. No good looking a gift horse in the mouth, after all. "Okay." Trying to stifle an awkward feeling, I asked, "So, when will I be taking the next set of tests?"

"Hmm…"

I used to be annoyed by his constant 'hmm's. But…after all he had done for me, and just getting to know the man better…I started to think they were pretty neat. Maybe I'd 'hmm' a lot when I got to his age.

"The tests will be every Saturday afternoon from here on, until you have completed all of them."

"So will I be doing the second-year testing next week?"

"Yes."

"Am I allowed to study the second-year stuff between now and then?"

His white eyebrows rose. "Hmm?" To me, he looked surprised, and I wondered if he had misunderstood my question. "I am impressed by your integrity, young Tomoya-san. Hmm."

After a moment, he continued. "You may study between now and then, but keep in mind that you are expected to keep up with your third-year studies as well. It would do little good for you to do well on this only to fail your regular classes."

I bowed slightly. "I understand, sir; I'll keep that in mind. Thank you."

* * *

I had really changed, hadn't I? Before Fu-chan, I was on my way to becoming…well effectively a bum. While Fu-chan didn't directly encourage me, my desire to do right by her (spurred on by a kick in the butt by her brother-in-law) motivated me to make the changes that I needed to be the man that she would need.

Thanks to good friends like Kotomi-chan and Tomoyo, along with – I think 'supportive' is the word – teachers, I had another chance to make something of myself, to be someone important to somebody.

And I want that somebody to be Ibuki Fuuko.

Actually, scratch that: I want Okazaki Fuuko.


	27. Graduation

**Chapter 27 – Graduation**

I straightened my tie as I regarded myself in the mirror. For some reason I was nervous, even though I knew a long time ago that this day was coming.

Graduation.

A transition from one life to another. Forever leaving the mentality of childhood behind and taking one's place in the adult world.

Sure, one could go to a university but, even then, tuition would have to be paid, books purchased…and lunches could be a lot more expensive than just bread from the cafeteria. The days of being given everything ended and, barring a benefactor, mysterious or otherwise, one would have to earn money to pay for all of these things, likely working part-time.

So, graduation is a time of change.

But even knowing that doesn't make it any easier. What will tomorrow bring? What do I have to offer the world? Will it have any use for my gift? Will my gift be rejected? Am I to become just another cog in some machine, with someone else at its controls? The star soccer player could end up at a desk job, with the ninety-pound weakling as his boss. The star pupil, intellectually gifted, could end up as just another number-cruncher, one out of many, at some low-end company.

Fortunately, our futures are changeable. I myself am proof of that. On my way to being a vagabond, I grabbed at a chance, several actually, to improve myself.

Fu-chan, as well. Instead of feeling sorry for herself after losing two years of her life to a coma due to an accident, she grabbed onto life.

And didn't let go.

She went back to the school that she was supposed to attend. She studied like crazy. She and I did make time to go on dates, of course, but she spent much of her free time studying in preparation for the next course test, or even a challenge test to skip a class.

In the end, instead of taking three years to finish high school, she finished all of her courses in two.

She wasn't able to graduate with me and her other friends, of course. But she had their support the whole way, similar to when I was tutoring her when she was still comatose.

Which is why I was in a suit. It was Fu-chan's graduation.

* * *

" _Ibuki Fuuko!"_

I cheered at the top of my lungs when I heard my girlfriend's name called. Normally, cheering was frowned upon, but everyone knew of Fu-chan's circumstances so the restrictions were lifted in her case. With all that she had been through, this day was particularly special.

I wasn't the only one cheering, of course. Kouko-san and her husband were also on their feet next to me, Kouko also cheering, but Yuusuke opting to applaud instead.

Kyou was fist-pumping on my other side, which seemed appropriate for her personality. Her sister was on her other side, looking away from Kyou and politely clapping. On Ryou's other side, Nagisa stood on tiptoes, apparently having problems seeing the stage.

Sunohara nearly climbed over them to clap me on the shoulder, and got Kyou's fist in his face for his efforts. I realized that I hadn't visited him much over the last two years, and felt guilty for a moment. But only for a moment.

I was saddened to see that neither Tomoyo, Yukine, nor Kotomi-chan were present. Tomoyo was busy with her political campaign and, last I heard, was giving the incumbent mayor a sound thrashing. In a figurative sense, of course. The situation with the gangs was starting to clear up, thanks in part to Tomoyo's campaign. This took a lot of pressure off of Yukine, so she had left on a trip to 'clear her head', as she put it.

Kotomi-chan's was the hardest for me to accept, due partly to our shared history, and partly due to the way our interactions changed after she found out about Fu-chan. Sometime after our graduation, she left for America without saying a word to anyone; I had only recently found out through her guardian.

I snapped out of my reverie and watched as Fu-chan descended the stairs from the platform where she had received her diploma. She had the glow of success around her, and I found myself getting emotional.

Doggone it; I promised that I wouldn't get emotional. Not like this, at least.

After the rest of the graduates received their diplomas, the principal spoke a little more before dismissing us to the festivities.

Boy, was I nervous.

I looked to Kouko-san, who was already looking my way. She gave me a reassuring nod, as though to give me permission. I returned the nod, somewhat shakily, and looked down at the box in my hand. Fortunately, three months worth of my salary could purchase a pretty good-sized 'rock'. As an accountant at a very large international company, I made pretty good money; my high skills in math and, surprisingly, in English made it easy for me to get hired. Rising through the ranks of the Accounting Department meant that I could afford something great for this moment.

If only my nerves could have been as stable as my paycheck…

I made my way over to where Fu-chan was talking with some of the friends that she had made at school. "Fuuko?"

She turned and smiled when she saw me. "Tomoya-kun!" To her friends, she said, "Just a minute, girls; I'll be right back."

"No, no," I protested. "Just, ah…let me know when you're available, okay?" I rubbed the back of my neck as I smiled back. "I don't want to take you away from your fun here."

Her smile faded, but she nodded understanding. "All right, I'll find you when I'm done."

I nodded at her friends. "Ladies." I then turned and walked back toward Kouko.

"How did it go?" she asked when I got close enough.

"Not yet. She's talking with her friends, and I didn't want to pull her away from that. She won't get this chance again, after all." I frowned. "Maybe I should have waited until dinner or something?"

Kouko shook her head. "No way. She's been waiting for this for a long time. You're at least part of the reason she wanted to graduate as quickly as possible."

I blushed at the reminder. "Ha, right."

"Did you tell her where you would be so she could find you?" Yuusuke asked.

I slapped my forehead. "I was so nervous that I didn't even think of it. Should I go back?"

He shook his head. "Nah, the crowd's thinning, so she should be able to find us."

"In fact, here she comes," Kouko noted.

"Onee-chan!" Fuuko cried out as she rushed to her sister. 'Here she comes', indeed.

"Congratulations!" Kouko cried as they shared an embrace. "Oh Fuuko, I'm so happy for you!"

I guess the weight of everything that had happened over the last few years finally got to them, because they both started crying. Pretty hard, too.

Yuusuke walked over to stand beside me. "She's been holding that in for years."

"Since the accident, I assume?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Well, before that, actually. She really regretted treating Fu-chan so coldly, so this is really…"

"Therapeutic?" I offered.

"Yeah, that's it. Therapeutic," he replied with a smile.


	28. The Beginning of the Dream

**Chapter 28 – The Beginning of the Dream**

It felt good walking around the high school grounds with Fuuko. I hadn't been back since graduation two years ago, so she was able to show me some of the things that had changed since then. Most of it was cosmetic; new paint jobs mostly. Even with that, I still felt a sense of nostalgia.

"Remember this room?" Fuuko asked, as we stopped in front of a very familiar classroom.

I smiled and raised my hand, to which she smiled and gave a 'high-five', this time without her ending up in pain, and then we entered the room.

I stopped just inside the door and looked around. The smell was the same, the look was the same…but we were different.

Fu-chan made her way over to the desk where she had spent many hours carving blocks of wood into her beloved starfish. She reached out and traced a finger along the top before slowly settling into it.

"Good memories?" I asked as I settled into the desk next to her.

She looked over at me with a sad smile. "Good memories. Happy, but sad."

"Are you going to miss this place?"

She nodded. "I will but, at the same time, I'm glad to be done." She sighed wistfully. "I think I'm ready to move on."

I thought about the small box in my pocket. "I'd like for us to go to the park. Is that okay?"

She smiled slyly. "Which 'the park' are you talking about?"

I hesitated. "The, uh…one in front of Furukawa Bakery?"

She considered it for a minute. Then: "Sure. Let's go." And she took my hand and led me out of the classroom.

* * *

"Now that I'm here, I realize how much I missed this place."

Fu-chan sat on one of the swings, kicking her feet and causing the swing to sway. We had arrived at the park just as dusk was settling, bringing a comfortable coolness to the air.

I leaned back in my swing and let a breeze tickle my face. "Yeah, same here."

"That's right; you stayed at the Furukawa's while visiting me in the hospital, didn't you?"

I nodded with a wistful smile. "Yup, I did."

She swung for a while before stopping again. "Why did you want to come to the park?"

My nerves flared up again. "Well…I, um-"

"Fu-chan! Oh, and Okazaki-san!" The familiar friendly voice of Nagisa rang across the park. "I didn't expect to see you here!"

I looked up and smiled as Fu-chan called, "Nagisa-san! Hi!"

Nagisa jogged across the park to where we stood. "This is a surprise! What brings you out here?"

Fu-chan started to answer. "Well, Tomoya-kun wanted-"

She was interrupted by Nagisa grabbing her hand. "Actually Fu-chan, I need to talk to you for a minute. Is that okay?" She alternated a worried look between each of us.

Fu-chan looked to me, and I simply gestured toward them. "If you're okay with it." I had to admit, though, I was getting annoyed with the interruptions. But this was Nagisa, so it was hard to get too mad.

Fu-chan looked back to her friend and nodded, so Nagisa led her away rather quickly to a distance where, I assumed, I would not hear their conversation. I could hear their voices, but I couldn't understand what was being said.

It was interesting to watch, though. Nagisa held both of Fu-chan's hands in her own while talking to her excitedly. At least it looked excited. Fu-chan looked my way a couple of times, but Nagisa shook her hands, causing Fu-chan to look back at her. Eventually, Nagisa released her hands while still talking and gesturing, while Fu-chan clasped hers in front of herself, her head slightly bowed.

Finally, Nagisa lowered her hands, apparently finished with whatever is was she wanted to say, and just looked at my girlfriend. Then, she reached out, took Fu-chan by the shoulders, turned her towards me, and appeared to push her towards me.

For some reason, Fu-chan looked uncomfortable as she walked back toward me, as Nagisa stayed behind. When she got close enough, I asked, "Fu-chan, what's-"

"PLEASE MARRY ME!" she blurted out with eyes squeezed shut and hands balled into fists, causing me to flinch.

"F-Fu-chan?" I stammered. "What brought this on?"

"P-Please marry me!" she yelled again, but not as loudly as before. "Be-Be-Before another girl confesses to you!"

I didn't intend to be mean, but I had to chuckle at that last statement. "You…You want me to marry you, you say?"

With eyes still shut, she nodded.

"Well," I said, chuckling lightly again, "that's going to make this somewhat anticlimactic."

Her eyes opened. "What do you mean?" They then widened as I pulled out the small box that I had been carrying around all day and lowered myself to one knee.

I held the box out to her. "Ibuki Fuuko: Will you be my wife?"

Fuuko started to tremble, and I could see Nagisa in the distance, with her hands over her mouth.

Fu-chan reached out with shaky hands and took the box from me and managed to open it. The ring inside caused her to gasp. "Oh, wow…" She held the box out to me. "Would you…"

Smiling, I took the box and removed the ring. After placing the box on the ground beside me, I took her hand and slid the ring on. "Can I take this as a 'yes'?"

She had been examining the ring on her finger when my words reached her. "Huh? Oh!" She gasped. "Tomoya-kun! Oh, YES! YES! Ohmygod, YES!" She threw her arms around me, knocking me the rest of the way to the ground.

She crawled across me until she could plant her lips on mine. "Mmph!"

I must have blanked out from the sensation, because the next thing I knew, Nagisa was helping me to my feet while laughing. "Congratulations, you two!"

I chuckled awkwardly as I got back on my feet. "Thanks, Nagisa-san."

We shared a laugh together until I noticed that Nagisa wasn't laughing anymore. "What's wrong?" I asked.

She waved a hand, but I could see tears in her eyes. "It's nothing. I'm just tired, I guess." She looked toward the bakery. "I'd better get home." Without another word, she walked quickly toward home. I could hear what sounded like sobbing as she entered the front door of the bakery.

I turned to my now-fiancée. I had a feeling that I knew what was wrong, but… "What happened, Fuuko? Do you know why she's-"

Fuuko also had tears in her eyes as she looked toward where Nagisa had departed. "This wasn't easy for her, Tomoya." She looked up at me. "She loves you a lot, and to see you propose to me…"

My heart went out to the dear, sweet girl. "Will she be okay?"

"It'll take her a while I think, but…yeah." Fuuko looked back at the bakery. "We just need to be good friends to her."

I allowed her words to sink in, along with all of the events of the day, and all of the events of the last two years, before offering her my arm. "M-May I see you home?"

Fuuko wiped her eyes before gracing me with a smile and wrapping her arms around mine. "Sure."

As we headed to her home, I thought about the future. Who knows what tomorrow will bring, what challenges, what joys, what heartaches may come?

One thing was for certain, though: Whatever life would bring, I wanted to experience it with the 'child of wind' by my side.

 _Rough Draft Complete_


End file.
